Mad Max: Into the Darklands
by JamietheBastard
Summary: Weeks after the Fury Road war, Max has retrieved and repaired his smashed Interceptor. Venturing out into the Wasteland, Max is trying to outrun a fierce storm when he encounters Aurora, a pilot flying an ancient world war one biplane. Max discovers that her underground settlement has been invaded by an army of fierce mutant warriors, the Makatai Otoan also known as the Kroatoan.
1. Haunted Road

Authors note: EXPERIMENT FAILED. After struggling for weeks with chapter two I had to admit defeat and revert back to writing the story in the screenplay format, and the story started to come together nicely. I have completed 3 chapters and the ending. I find I just get bogged down in the intricate detail required for writing fiction and I find writing in the screenplay format so much easier, as all the excess is trimmed and the rest is pure story. I will finish the story in the screenplay format and maybe try and "convert" it into fiction once completed.

Any feedback greatly appreciated.

Mad Max: Into The Darklands Draft Two.

APPRENTICE ENGINE MASTER OF GASTOWN MATHIAS V.O.

 _The Immortan is dead. One of the Prophet's earthly incarnations has been called to Valhalla to sit at the right hand of the Lord. "If it is So, It was meant to Be"._

 _The Road Warrior has returned. Four weeks previously, he arrived at Gastown with the revelation of Joe's demise: Slain by the rogue Imperatrix Furiosa on the Fury Road. The former commander in Joe's army has assumed leadership and the few remaining Warpups, Imperators and Warboys too sickly to participate in Joe's doomed crusade to retrieve his prized breeders, swore an oath of fealty to Furiosa the new Warchief of the Citadel. Joe's surviving son Corpus Collosus was pardoned and offered a place in the new regime. Despite his physical deformities Collosus was gifted with an above average intelligence, and knew he didn't have any choice if he was to survive without his late fathers protection._

 _Sending out emmissaries under a flag of truce, Furiosa negotiated trade treaties with the Rock Riders and Buzzard tribes, bartering Guzzaline and clean water for machinery and other items the Buzzards scavenged from the ruined cities. The mountain pass was reopened. Broken and scattered, the surviving Warboys and their vehicles trapped in hostile territory when Nux had blocked the pass with the War Rig, were hunted relentlessly without surcease by the Buzzards and Rock Riders until none remained alive._

 _A few days after the battle, The Road Warrior ventured back out onto the Fury Road with a Citadel towing rig to retrieve his battered and smashed V8 Interceptor. With the Road Warrior and a crew of Gastown mechanics we rebuilt the engine,cannibalising Warboy vehicles and Gastown stores for parts, panel beating and replacing the dented and smashed panels, reinforcing the damaged chassis and roll cage, we restored the high performance vehicle._

 _Once the repairs were complete and the vehicle was once again roadworthy and armored, it was time for Max to move on. Furiosa had offered the Road Warrior a place in the new Citadel leadership, she was planning on sending War parties to the Strontium Sea area to subdue the cannibal tribes with a view to opening up a secure trade route to the Last Chance refinery town_ (see Mad Max: Gasoline Alley), _but the Road Warrior chose to continue his journey on the road to redemption. I never saw the Road Warrior again, I know not whether he still lives, but he shall always remain my friend._

OPEN ON:

In the pre dawn stillness Max departs the Citadel, the Interceptor generously stocked by Furiosa with fuel, water, spare parts, weapons and food.

EXT. WASTELAND - TWO DAYS TRAVEL FROM THE CITADEL.

AERIAL POV.

The Interceptor is speeding across the desert wasteland.

Pulling the Interceptor over Max exits the vehicle and raising his binoculars scans the wasteland ahead.

BINOCULAR POV.

He sees ruined buildings on the far horizon. A nuked city, slowly being reclaimed by the Wasteland desert. Nothing is moving in the midday heat. Max turns to get back into his vehicle.

MAX'S POV:

A wall of dark clouds is fast approaching from the direction he had come. He starts the Interceptor and floors the accelerator to try and outrun the approaching storm.

As he speeds toward the distant ruins, the sky above grows dark and threatening and the wind begins to howl around the Interceptor.

Gravel, sucked up into the atmosphere by wasteland twisters, ricochets off the wire mesh protected windows and windshield and the already battered vehicle is dented and bashed even more by the high velocity of the storm fired projectiles.

As the metallic spangs of wind driven gravel hitting the car abates slightly a new sound slowly becomes audible above the noise of the fierce storm, although faint at first it grows louder and is unmistakable, the sound of an engine, high above, misfiring. It continues uninterrupted for a few seconds and again the engine coughs and splutters.

Max scans the sky above, the engine noise grows louder and as it passes overhead he sees it is an ancient World War One era biplane trying to outrun the storm. In bad trouble, the plane is losing altitude and is heading for the distant ruins on the horizon.

The wasteland storms are fierce and unbelievably destructive but luckily for the two vehicles they are spared the worst of the massive storm, as the vast dark wall of gale force wind, dust and gravel changes direction heading east and bypassing the ruined city. The sky ahead is clearing as the Interceptor speeds toward the distant ruins and the rapidly descending biplane.

EXT. WASTELAND - NUKED CITY LIMITS - DAY.

The highway leading out of the city is jammed with the blackened rusting hulks of decaying vehicles, driven by black, leering skeletons. Incinerated and entombed in the coffins of their dead vehicles by the falling nukes. The lanes leading into the city are mainly clear, concrete barricades seperate the inbound and outbound lanes, though Max has to maneuver around the occasional burnt out military vehicle. The grim traffic jam continues on for kilometre after kilometre.

INT. INTERCEPTOR.

The dash mounted geiger counter Mathias had installed was clicking and chattering to itself, Max checks the radiation level.

He pulls the Interceptor to a halt behind a charred APC and gets out. Crouching low, he approaches the front of the burnt out personnel carrier and scans the highway ahead through his binoculars.

BINOCULAR POV:

There it was, a few hundred metres further on; the pilot had managed to put the plane down intact on a clear stretch of highway. A short distance from the ancient plane two wastelander vehicles that had taken shelter from the rock storm had seen the plane come down and were pulled up close to where the aircraft had landed. Max saw three raiders had the pilot pinned down behind a wrecked car. As Max focused on the car the pilot leans out and lets off a few rounds in the direction of the Wasteland raiders. The dissipating winds had masked the sound of his approach, and the three raiders were unaware of his presence.

Coming to a decision, Max made his way back to the Interceptor and retrieved Furiosa's treasured high powered sniper rifle the grateful Imperator had gifted him for saving her life. Steadying the rifle across the window ledge of the APC's open driver's door, Max drew a bead on one of the raiders, exhaling he squeezes the trigger and the shot is dead on target, the raider goes down. He lines up the next Wastelander, fires and again his shot is on target. The remaining raider realising he is taking fire from behind as well, decides the odds are not looking so good, dives into his vehicle and speeds off back into the Wasteland.

Max slowly approaches the downed plane. He checks the raiders, they are both unmoving, seeping blood. Staying behind the cover of the remaining raider vehicle he calls out to the pilot,

MAX.

 _Hey, are you OK?_

The only answer he receives is a bullet that ricochets off the raider vehicle barely centimetres from his head. Max ducks reflexively.

MAX.

 _OK look. I just stopped to lend a hand, I don't want anything from you, I've got gas and food, I'm just going to go back to my wheels and I'll leave you be. I'm going to stand up, hands on my head, walk back to my vehicle and drive away. You can shoot me in the back if I make a wrong move, whatta ya say? We got a deal?_

He stands up straight hands on his head, at the same time a figure emerges from behind the car.

CLOSE UP ON:

The Pilot.

Leather flying helmet, goggles, scarf wrapped around the mouth and nose, dressed in an old leather flying jacket, aiming an ancient Winchester repeating rifle at Max.

PILOT.

 _Put down the rifle. Take the shotgun out of it's holster slowly and throw it down_

It is a woman's voice. Max complies.

PILOT.

 _Put your hands back on your head and turn around slowly_

Max does this.

PILOT.

 _So, a good samaritan come to rescue the damsel in distress. Bullshit. Who are you?_

MAX.

 _I was a cop before the war, saw your plane come down_

PILOT.

 _That was your vehicle I flew over in the wasteland? This trash was already here._

She kicks one of the dead raiders. Max looks over the ancient biplane

MAX.

 _You're lucky the storm changed course, it would have torn that thing to shreds._

PILOT.

 _Yeah, but your vehicle wouldn't have made it either_.

MAX.

 _Look you've got me covered, can I put my hands down? You want some water or something to eat_?

PILOT.

 _Sure, I just gotta come back to your vehicle, right? Maybe you do got food and water, maybe you're after something else, pussy must be awful hard to come by out here officer._

MAX.

 _I'm not a rapist_

Before the pilot can react, Max drops his hand, pulls out a concealed pistol from his waistband and fires at the woman. She is not hit. She turns and sees one of the raiders wasn't dead only unconscious, he had dragged himself up and he had been aiming his crossbow at the woman's back. Max's shot had taken him right between the eyes. Max lowers the pistol, trigger finger resting along the barrel, but the woman cradles her rifle loosely, no longer aiming at Max.

PILOT.

 _OK Bronze I guess you're alright, my name is Aurora_

MAX.

 _My name is Max_.

Aurora looks closely at Max, sizing him up before replying.

AURORA.

 _Well Max it seems like I've got something of a problem, that offer of a meal still on the table?_


	2. The Colony

The pilot Aurora is looking over her plane. Max returns with some food and water from the Interceptor. The woman has removed her helmet, goggles and scarf. She is about thirty years old, skin like porcelain, piercing blue eyes and fiery red hair. A stunning Celtic beauty.

AURORA.

 _The plane's got a busted fuel line, must have taken a hit in the storm. I can fix it but it's gonna take a couple of hours. We must be soaking up a few rads, stay here much longer we'll glow in the dark._

MAX.

 _The radiation levels have dropped since the war, it would take a day or two to acumulate a lethal dose. Still best not to stick around, the rat who got away might come back with friends._

AURORA.

 _So Max any chance of a tow? I clocked a small valley about ten klicks north of here, it would be a safer place to fix the plane._

Max thinks it over and comes to a decision.

MAX.

 _OK. I'll go get my vehicle._

He walks back to the Interceptor as Aurora eats her meal.

FADE OUT.

EXT. WASTELAND - NUKED CITY - DAY.

Max is securing a tow rope to a hook on the planes undercarriage, the pilot is sitting in the cockpit.

MAX.

 _Ok we're good to go. it's gonna be slow going._

AURORA.

 _This thing doesn't steer too well on the ground, so try and avoid any sharp turns, also try not to stop suddenly, pull up gradually or you're gonna end up with a plane up your arse._

MAX.

 _Yeah, I've towed a few vehicles before, don't worry I know what I'm doing._

Max gets into the Interceptor, starts the engine and drives back out into the wasteland, the ancient plane in tow.

EXT. WASTELAND - DAY.

AERIAL POV.

The Interceptor with the biplane in tow is slowly approaching the small valley.

EXT. WASTELAND - VALLEY - DAY.

The Interceptor is parked up next to the plane. Aurora has the engine cowling open and is tinkering with the plane's motor. Max is scanning the wasteland for any movement, he sees nothing. He turns and scans the small valley with his binoculars.

BINOCULAR POV.

At the far end are four small structures, they are army quonset huts. They are in a state of advanced disrepair, the windows are all broken, doors hang off hinges, there are holes in the side of the buildings.

Max scans the huts and surrounds carefully, but there are no signs of life, apart from the old army huts the valley is empty. When he is satisfied there is no immediate danger he returns to the Interceptor.

AURORA.

 _So Max where are you from?_

MAX.

 _Just came from a settlement, the Citadel. Know some people there._

AURORA.

 _Yeah I know it. I landed at a place called Gastown to refuel before I was caught in the storm._

MAX.

 _I was there for a while, repairing my vehicle. So where are you from?_

AURORA.

 _You've heard of the Three Cities?_

Max shakes his head.

AURORA.

 _They're settlements deep undergound, they were constructed in old coal mines as fallout shelters before the war. The city I come from is called Newhaven, It's north from here, about three hundred kays east of the Darklands._

MAX.

 _This is the furthest north I've ever travelled. What are the Darklands?_

AURORA.

 _The Darklands are the most fucked up, irradiated Zones in the wasteland. The cities that were there took the most nukes in the war, most of them aren't even ruins, just endless plains of fused black glass, concrete and steel. Mutation is rife in the area, it's a toxic jungle. No one who has entered the Darklands has ever returned, war parties, scav gangs, no one ever came back._

MAX.

 _You're a long way from home._

AURORA.

 _The Two Cities have fallen, invaded by an army of mutant warriors called the Makatai Otoan, which translates as The Kroatoan. The Kroatoan armies number in the thousands, no settlements can withstand them. Your friends in the Citadel and Gastown are in the path of their advance, they've got maybe six months before the mutant armies reach them. I left a warning with their warlord, she seems like a smart cookie, with six months to prepare they might be able to resist._

Aurora pauses and wipes a drip of sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. She resumes tinkering with the plane's engine.

AURORA.

 _A second mutant army is advancing on The Third City, Arkadia, which is located north of the Darklands. My mission is to warn them of the Croatoan advance, we hope that with enough warning Arcadia can mount an adequate defence against the mutants._

MAX.

 _So you're going to fly to this Arkadia, you been there before?_

AURORA.

 _No, no one from the Two Cities has ever been there. But we know it's there, the Newhaven Council of Elders had documents relating to Arkadia. It was the first underground City established before the war. According to the documents, they have a large military force, weapons and pre war technology, If they can defeat the mutant army they may be able to drive the invaders from Newhaven and free my city._

MAX.

 _So the only evidence you have for the existence of this place is some old pre war documents?_

AURORA.

 _Yeah, but I've gotta try. My family are in Newhaven, I don't even know if they're still alive._

MAX.

 _Where the hell did you find this old relic?_

AURORA.

 _It belonged to the mining company that sold the mines to the government. My father was a pilot for the mining company before the war, he repaired it and restored it. He taught me to fly when I was 12._

Max inspects the ancient plane.

AURORA.

 _We don't know if it's feasible, but I'm going to attempt to fly over the Darklands, it may be suicide to even overfly the most radioactive areas. But supposedly there is a safe route through, a scav crawled out of the Zone one day with a map, he didn't live long but apparently he crossed the Darklands in his vehicle. That's the route i'm going to follow, I may make it through._

MAX.

 _I don't like this place, something feels wrong. You better get on with the repairs._

AURORA.

 _Well maybe you should shut up and I will._

Max scans the valley, it is empty, nothing moves. He returns his attention to the wasteland, the only movement is a crow flying in the distance.

MAX.

 _I'm going to have a look around the valley, check out those huts. Keep an eye on the wasteland in case those raiders show up._

Max walks off, stopping at the Interceptor to retrieve Furiosa's sniper rifle, he sets out to survey the small valley.

INT. ARMY HUT - WASTELAND VALLEY - DAY.

Max enters one of the huts. He begins searching the rooms, the first room he goes into was an office, there is a desk and some ancient steel filing cabinets. Max opens one of the drawers in a filing cabinet, it opens with a shriek of rusted metal. They contain old documents, the paper yellowed with age. He examines some of the documents, they are mostly illegible.

There is a notice tacked to one wall, it is faded though the heading can still be read: Australian Army Medical Corps.10th Division. Emergency Protocols Relating to Suspected Release of Enemy Bacteriological Weapons.

Max continues exploring the rooms, there are piles of trash lying around, he sees in the dim light inside the hut what appear to be large piles of old rags.

Max enters another room. It is dimly lit as thin sheets of black plastic cover the broken windows. It was a dormitory, rows of army cots line the room, some of them containing piles of old rags. Max bends down and picks up an empty packet from a trash pile. The writing on the khaki coloured plastic packet reads: Australian Army Supply Corps. Meal, Ready to Eat. No.10 Beef Stew.

Max picks up a thin metal rod lying on the floor and pokes at one of the piles of rags. To Max's surprise the pile of old rags moves and a low moaning sound emanates from within. Realisation strikes Max and he turns and runs back to the entry foyer. Three figures are standing in the corridor outside the buildings exit.

CLOSE UP ON:

The three figures. They are dressed in filthy, decaying rags, remnants of hooded robes. Their faces and hands are covered in hideous lesions and ulcerating sores. In a croaking, cracked voice one of the figures speaks.

RADPOX VICTIM.

 _Hhhhellllpp usssss..._

Max draws his shotgun.

MAX.

 _Back up. I don't want to shoot you but I will._

The Radpox victims back up, their arms outstretched imploringly toward Max.

RADPOX VICTIM.

 _Ppleease hhellppp ussss..._

MAX.

 _There's nothing I can do for you, I'm sorry._

Covering the afflicted people with his shotgun, Max backs around them and rushes out of the hut.

EXT. WASTELAND VALLEY - DAY.

There are thirty or forty of the hideously afflicted Radpox sufferers limping and shambling toward the end of the valley where Aurora is fixing the plane.

MAX.

 _Shit._

He holsters his shotgun and unslings the sniper rifle. Dropping to one knee he sights through the scope. The pilot is engrossed in the repairs she is performing and is unaware of the shambling horde of the diseased behind her. Two of the infected are only metres away from Aurora, nearly close enough to touch her. Max sights on one and fires, the shot is on target. He lines up the other disease victim and pulls the trigger, the man goes down. Aurora wheels around at the sound of the shots and sees the approaching horde, she picks up her Winchester rifle and stands ready.

Max gets to his feet, slings the sniper rifle over his shoulder and sprints through the horde back to the plane, dodging around them as the victims reach out and try to grab him.

He reaches the plane. The Radpox victims are about thirty five metres away. Aurora aims at the shambling pack.

AURORA.

 _I haven't got enough ammo to hold them off for long._

MAX.

 _We've gotta get out of here._

AURORA.

 _I haven't finished the repairs, the plane won't be ready to fly for another hour._

MAX.

 _We haven't got time, grab whatever you got in the plane and load it into my vehicle._

AURORA.

 _Fuck that, I'm not leaving the plane. You got any more weapons in your car?_

MAX.

 _I'm not going to kill them, they're sick people they only want help. We can come back for the plane later._

AURORA.

 _You just shot two of them. Believe me killing them is the only help you can give them, Radpox is fatal._

MAX.

 _I know, but I won't shoot sick people unless it's unavoidable, those two were close enough to touch you. Get your gear I'm leaving now._

Aurora acquiesces and starts to unload her belongings as Max stands guard. The moaning, shambling pack is getting closer. We see the uneasiness on Max's face, this is something the hardened wasteland survivalist was not prepared for and he is nervous. By the time Aurora has finished loading her possessions into the Interceptor the Radpox victims are only eight metres away.

They jump into the Interceptor and Max cranks the Ignition, the motor starts, revs a few times then stalls. He turns the key again and the motor turns over but does not start.

MAX.

 _Shit,shit,shit_.

The shambling pack is getting closer.

Finally the engine starts. Max drops the clutch and floors the accelerator, the Interceptor speeds out of the valley into the wasteland.

EXT. WASTELAND - DAY.

The Interceptor is parked a safe distance from the valley. Max and Aurora are standing next to the vehicle.

MAX.

 _One of the local settlements must be using this place as a leper colony._

AURORA.

 _They didn't touch you did they? The Radpox is communicable by physical contact with the infected._

MAX.

 _No, luckily._

Aurora is watching the valley through the binoculars.

The Radpox victims are climbing all over the biplane, searching through the cockpit and passenger compartment.

AURORA.

 _Aww no, they're all over the plane damn it. It's contaminated, no point in going back for it now. My father's plane, it might have been all I have left of him._

Aurora lowers the binoculars and hands them to Max. She turns away.

CLOSE UP ON:

Aurora's face, her eyes are moist and red.

Max lowers the binoculars.

MAX.

 _I'm sorry, it was my fault. I was uneasy about the place, I should have checked it out first before unhooking the plane. I was complacent and off guard, which can get you dead pretty damn quick in the wasteland, stupid._

AURORA.

 _It's alright Max, I don't blame you. But I've got a bigger problem now, I need to get to a settlement called Freehold. It's about 90 kilometres north from here, I have to see a merchant I trade salvage to occasionally. I can hire a local driver to cross the Darklands, I'm sure one of them would be willing to risk the journey. The Arkadians will reward them well for getting the warning through._

MAX.

 _Yeah I can take you, I'm not going to leave you stranded in the wasteland without transport._

AURORA.

 _I can't offer much, but I can pay you in fuel when we get there._

MAX.

 _Let's get moving._

They get back into Max's vehicle and drive off.

INT. INTERCEPTOR - WASTELAND - DAY.

AURORA.

 _I was 10 when the war started and we entered the Newhaven shelter. Life in the shelters was harsh in the years following the war, they were poorly constructed, squalid, rat infested hellholes, hunger and disease were rampant. The lower levels were even worse, they often had no power, food or clean water. There was cannibalism, sometimes they would mount raids on the upper levels and take captives, Radpox epidemics were frequent. It got so bad the city Elders sealed off the lower levels permanently._

MAX.

 _So what makes you think the Third City will be any different?_

AURORA.

 _Because according to the documents the Newhaven Elders had, it was the first shelter costructed in the old coal mines. It was built for government personnel and the rich, the so called elite. It was well stocked with food, water and medicines. They had soldiers, weapons and vehicles._

MAX.

 _Yeah that makes sense. Those bastards would make sure they had everything and leave the public shelters underprovisioned. But your city can't be so bad now or you would have left long ago._

Aurora looks out the window before replying.

AURORA.

 _The Two Cities are prosperous settlements now after the Dark Years. My father flew scouting missions, mapping areas where there was good salvage. The scav teams went out and brought the stuff back. The City grew and prospered, through hard work we built the underground settlement into a good place to live. We had hydroponic farm levels, livestock, good water._

MAX.

 _So you've got a map of the route through the Darklands, but how are you going to find the Third City if you've never been there?_

AURORA.

 _My merchant contact in Freehold. He found out that there's a raider who has a map with the route to Arcadia from the Darklands, I'm going to trade for it._

The Interceptor continues on it's journey to the Freehold settlement.

The area of the wasteland they are travelling is no longer flat desert, the dunes are becoming more numerous and larger. Max slows the Interceptor and parks behind a large dune. He gets out and takes his binoculars to reconnoitre the area.

MAX.

 _Stay with the car, I'm going to scope out the route ahead. There's plenty of places raiders could lay an ambush._

EXT. WASTELAND - DAY.

Max is lying on the top of a dune scanning the wasteland with the binoculars.

BINOCULAR POV.

Some distance away there is an encampment, many vehicles and warriors.

CLOSE UP ON:

A warrior. Tall, muscular build, bald, dressed in a pair of old, patched camouflaged pants, bare torso, lumpy misshapen facial features due to bone tumors, his chest and arms are covered in intricate tribal tattoos. Max sees another warrior, this one is dressed in what appears to be a type of uniform, his face covered by a gas mask. Suddenly the view is obscured, a mutant warrior stands in front of Max, he drops the binoculars and tries to draw his shotgun but the warrior knocks Max unconscious with a club. The mutant warrior stoops down and snags the binoculars, he throws Max over his shoulder and carries him off.

EXT. WASTELAND - KROATOAN SCOUTING PARTY CAMP.

A warrior throws water over Max and he regains consciousness. He looks around, he is in the mutant camp. The warriors are all similar in appearance to the first warrior Max saw, muscular, bone tumors, tribal tattoos. The gas masked officer speaks to Max in a strange language, he shakes his head not understanding. The officer addresses the warriors standing in a circle surrounding them.

MAKATAI OTOAN OFFICER.

 _Doro no makora teo Rodukai - Oria Wa Guerresai Herma Katasan Karewa, Makatai Otoan dia haris teo shomeitu._

The circle parts and a large warrior, very tall and well muscled, the same bone tumours on his face and head, dressed in a loincloth, steps in to the ring. The warriors again close the circle, surrounding Max and the big warrior. The warrior begins to chant in his strange language. The other warriors also chant in unison. It is a pre battle ritual. The officer throws a wooden club at Max's feet.

OFFICER.

 _Teo Rodukai - Oria Wa ritai ehren M'tai Oria Wa kantaku teo Makatai Otoan._

He steps back and the big warrior says something to Max and indicates the weapon lying on the ground. Max realises he is supposed to fight the big mutant.

The big warrior assumes a fighting stance and aims a blow at Max's head, Max stumbles backwards avoiding the blow and snatches up the weapon at his feet just in time to block the warrior's next strike. The big warrior's attack is relentless, Max backs up dodging and parrying the blows as best he can. Max fades with a blow of the cudgel aimed at his head that rattles his teeth, he shakes his head to clear it. If he hadn't moved with the blow it would have shattered his jaw. Max dodges but the warrior lands another blow to Max's torso and Max is momentarily winded.

The big warrior is offbalanced as Max sidesteps a mighty swing and Max takes the opportunity to land a two handed blow upside the big warriors head which is knocked to the side under the force of the blow. The big man laughs, spits out a few bloody teeth and continues his attack. Max is definitely coming off second best as the warrior lands a blow on Max's arm which causes Max to drop the club, the injured arm now hangs uselessly by his side. The big warrior also drops his club and delivers a devastating series of punches to Max's torso.

Max stumbles away, The warrior grabs Max from behind and crushes him in a bear hug. The pressure slowly increases, and Max is close to passing out. Max feels around with his right foot and rakes the heel of his boot hard down the warriors bare shin, the warrior yelps and relents his grip, Max drops suddenly and slams his elbow backwards, hard into the warriors crotch. The big tribesman falls to his knees moaning softly and cupping his smashed testicles. Max retrieves his weapon from the ground and with a two handed swing he smashes the kneeling warrior a hard blow to the temple. The big man falls to the ground dead, blood streaming from his fractured skull. Max swings his weapon at the circle of warriors surrounding him. They are yelling and cheering, they brandish their weapons above their heads and yell.

TRIBAL WARRIORS.

 _RODUKAI ORIA WA...RODUKAI ORIA WA...RODUKAI ORIA WA..._

MAX'S POV:

Max's vision is turning grey. The circle of warriors appears to double in number as Max's vision blurs and he shakes his head to clear it.

MAX.

 _Come on you bastards who's next?_

He wheels around trying to see all the warriors surrounding him, but he falls to his knees then slumps to the ground unconscious.

Max regains consciousness briefly, he has been stripped to the waist and two warriors are holding him up by the arms. The officer retrieves a red hot steel brand from a fire and approaches Max, he speaks to the crowd of warriors.

MAKATAI OTOAN OFFICER.

 _Teo Rodukai - Oria Wa no tantauku Makatai Otoan. Toraikau Doro shensei Makangai Otoa, Kei Serai no Kantaku._

The two warriors holding Max grip him tightly as the Kroatoan officer shoves the red hot brand against Max's bare chest. Max screams in agony and we hear his flesh sizzling, the former MFP officer again loses consciousness.

FADE TO BLACK.

EXT. WASTELAND - DAY.

The Interceptor is speeding across the wasteland desert.

Max regains consciousness. He is sitting in the passenger seat, he looks over and sees Aurora is driving.

AURORA.

 _How are you feeling?_

MAX.

 _Great... it feels like I've been run over by a train._

AURORA.

 _When you didn't come back I went looking for you, found you unconscious. You were out for nearly twenty four hours. What happened?_

MAX.

 _I came across a party of the mutant warriors, had to fight one. I beat him and then his friends branded me._

AURORA.

 _Must have been a scouting party for the Kroatoan army, they were gone when I found you. I didn't realise they had got this far south._

He opens his shirt and looks down. A tribal skull design is seared onto his chest in a raised red wheal.

AURORA.

 _That must hurt like a bitch. What do the tattoos on your back mean? I saw them when I was cleaning your wounds._

MAX.

 _I was captured by a tribe four weeks ago, they tattooed me and used me as a blood donor for their warriors._

AURORA.

 _So. You defeated a Kroatoan warrior, you're a hard man Max._

MAX.

 _They sure are tough sons of bitches, I'll give em that. I'm coming with you to Arcadia._

AURORA.

 _If anyone stands a chance of getting safely through the Darklands, I guess you're about my best option. What prompted this decision if you don't mind my asking._

MAX.

 _I want to see this utopian settlement. If they can withstand the mutant army, there may be a chance for the Citadel. I don't think Furiosa's warriors will be able to withstand the invasion without military assistance._

AURORA.

 _Fair enough. Get some more rest, we should arrive at the Freehold settlement tonight._

.EXT. WASTELAND - FOOTHILLS - SUNSET.

The Interceptor is approaching a large settlement surrounded by a barricade wall. At the entrance gates vehicles and people on foot are entering the settlement. Lights on the barricade walls come on as the wasteland grows dark.

EXT. FREEHOLD SETTLEMENT - MAIN STREET - EVENING

Ramshackle buildings patched together from all sorts of scavenged materials line the busy streets. Raiders, drifters and wasteland tribespeople go about their business. A few vehicles are interspersed with the pedestrian traffic. The skyline of the wasteland town is dominated by a wind farm, the settlement's main source of power. The wind turbines are constructed using old aeroplane propellers, and other scavenged materials. A solitary oil pump undulates slowly up and down. The Interceptor drives slowly through the settlement.

They come to a fenced off yard, fires burning in 44 gallon drums provide some light, it is filled with individually customised, home built wastelander vehicles, a parking/camping area for those with business in the settlement. A bored guard is sitting at the gate cradling an ancient Lee - Enfield 303 bolt action rifle and taking an occasional belt from a moonshine bottle. Max pulls up at the entrance gate and the guard approaches the Interceptor.

GATE GUARD.

 _How long you staying?_

MAX.

 _Not long, couple of hours._

GUARD.

 _OK, what've you got for me?_

Max hands the guard a small packet of Ganja, grown at the Citadel. The guard takes it but Max doesn't let go.

MAX.

 _My vehicle is safe here?_

GUARD.

 _Yeah, no one will fuck with your ride, it's safe._

MAX.

 _They'd better not it's booby trapped, blow themselves to bits if they try._

Max releases the pack and the guard takes it. He opens the pack and smells the dried buds. Satisfied he waves Max through the gate and returns to his seat. Max drives into the enclosure and parks in a vacant spot.

Groups of various wasteland tribespeople stand about their vehicles talking, laughing and drinking the local moonshine, their business in Freehold concluded for the night. Most will sleep in their vehicles before departing for their own settlements and tribes, wastelanders prefer to travel during daylight hours, night travel is too perilous in the outback desert.

Max and Aurora leave the parking enclosure. Max has a duffel bag slung across his right shoulder and a crossbow over the other shoulder. Aurora is carrying a backpack and has her Winchester rifle slung over her shoulder. Aurora leads the way through the busy streets.

They enter a traders establishment built from an old shipping container. An old trader is seated behind a makeshift counter. Seated by the entrance is a large, tattooed man with arms folded, a baseball bat studded with six inch nails within easy reach, and a large revolver in his belt. Aurora places the backpack on the counter.

TRADER.

 _Ah, Aurora my dear, nice to see you again. What treasures have you brought me?_

AURORA.

 _Hello Grimaldi, they're in the bag. Do you have the information I need?_

The old trader opens the backpack and looks over the contents, a number of slim tubes about 15 centimeters in length. He picks one up, it is a Cigar stored in a vacuum tube, still sealed. He opens the tube and takes out the cigar, he holds it up to his ear and rolls it between his fingers. When he is finished he looks up at Aurora.

GRIMALDI.

 _Beautiful, still fresh. You are a wonder my dear, you never let me down. Yes I have your information, the item you seek is in the possession of a gentleman who goes by the name of Yakuza Jack. He leads a gang of wasteland raiders that prey on trading convoys, when he is in town he has been known to frequent an establishment by the name of Stryker's Bar, you will find him there now. A fat man, bald and heavily tattooed, take care my child he is dangerous and will have his men with him. I would advise you not to confront him, I don't want to lose my most valued customer._

The trader is virtually drooling as he looks at the cigars lined up in front of him.

GRIMALDI.

 _What do you want for this bounty my dear?_

AURORA.

 _OK. I'm gonna need provisions for two weeks, food, water, soap. A Rad Tarpaulin. Two gas masks, a Decontam Kit. Ammo for the Winchester if you got any left and 12 gauge shells. Grimaldi, this is Max, a friend._

MAX

 _I need fuel. 150 litres._

GRIMALDI.

 _What do you have to trade my friend?_

Max puts the duffel bag on the counter and opens it. It contains rifles, handguns and ammunition, most of the weapons that Furiosa gave Max when he left the Citadel. The old trader inspects the weapons, he picks up various guns and inspects them, checking slide actions, inspecting the barrels for cleanliness, flipping open cylinders and sighting through them. The guns are all in good condition, well oiled, the wooden stocks and handgrips preserved with rosewood oil. He lays them out on the counter.

GRIMALDI.

 _These weapons are in excellent condition my friend, we have a deal._

Max watches the old man load the weapons back into the duffel bag and disappear with the bag behind a curtain screening off the rear section of the establishment. He speaks to someone in a language Max has never heard before. He comes back out.

GRIMALDI.

 _The fuel and supplies will be ready when you return._

Max and Aurora stroll through the settlement streets until they find the establishment they are looking for.

CLOSE UP ON:

A sign hanging in front of an establishment.

STRYKER'S BAR.

Max turns to Aurora.

MAX.

 _I want you to wait outside, you're my back up. If I get into trouble you come in shooting. If things do turn nasty how will the local authorities take it?_

AURORA.

 _The Regulators don't usually intervene in disputes between wastelanders, as long as townspeople arent hurt, or settlement property destroyed._

Max enters and looks around the dimly lit bar. He spots the man he is looking for, sitting at a table drinking and laughing with four cronies. Max approaches the man.

YAKUZA JACK

 _What the fuck do you want?_

MAX

 _I want to talk to you. You've got an item in your possession that I'm interested in, I'm looking to make a trade. It would be worth your while._

YAKUZA JACK.

 _You mean the map? Sorry pal I aint giving that up for any price, it's my ticket out of the wasteland._

MAX.

 _From what I understand the map is useless to you without a safe route through the Darklands, which obviously you don't have or you wouldn't still be here. Look I can offer you a good price._

YAKUZA JACK.

 _I don't think so drifter, there is a way through the Darklands and I'll find it, this map is worth way more than you can afford. Take a walk pal you're starting to annoy me._

MAX.

 _Last chance to keep this friendly "pal", I need that map and I'm not leaving here without it. I'll take it by force if I have to._

YAKUZA JACK.

 _All on your own? there's five of us and one of you. We gonna fuck you up now boy._

The man and his henchmen stand up and remove weapons, machetes, chains, iron bars, one man is removing a revolver from a holster.

Max explodes into action, pivoting on his left leg he narrowly avoids a two handed machete blow that would have cleaved his skull in two, the machete buries itself into the wooden floorboards with the force of the blow and the raider is offbalanced.

Max ducks the swing of a chain and delivers a solid kick to the face of the raider struggling to free his machete, there is the sickening crunch of fractured bones and the man hits the floor, his face bleeding profusely. Drawing his double barreled sawn off shotgun, Max shoots the chain wielding raider in the face and turns as the man with the pistol aims at him and fires, the shot grazes Max's upper arm and he lets the man have the other barrel in the stomach.

Dropping the empty shotgun he unslings his crossbow, already cocked and loaded, he shoots at the other armed thug who is coming for him with an iron bar, the man goes down pawing at the crossbow bolt protruding from his throat.

Yakuza Jack, who has barely moved in the few seconds it took Max to take out his henchmen, now runs for the door and out into the street. Max retrieves his shotgun and turns toward the entrance.

Yakuza Jack re- enters the bar hands raised, walking backwards, as Aurora, her rifle aimed at his face, marches him back into Stryker's establishment. Max grabs the fat raider and starts frisking him. From a pocket in the man's jacket he takes out a folded map in a clear plastic envelope.

MAX.

 _You should have traded "pal", I warned you. Now you gonna give me any more trouble?_

Yakuza Jack just shakes his head, he is visibly shaken. Max wheels the man around and shoves him out the door. The raider trips over and lands in the street, he picks himself up and runs off into the night.

Max walks over to the bar. The owner is stunned by the speed at which Max took out the raiders.

MAX

 _Sorry about the mess. This cover the damages?_

He reaches inside his leather jacket and takes out four of the dried packages of compressed Citadel Ganja that Furiosa had given him as trade goods and hands them to the owner, who examines them and then pockets the small packages. He nods at Max.

The owner with the help of another man starts dragging the dead men toward a door at the rear of the establishment. Max walks over to the bar.

BARMAN

 _What'll it be?_

MAX

 _Give me a shot of the local moonshine._

The bartender fills a shot glass from a bottle and places the glass on the bar in front of Max, he picks up the glass and downs it in one shot. Aurora walks over to the bar and speaks to the bartender.

AURORA.

 _I'll have one of those too._

The bartender pours her a drink and she also downs it in one gulp.

Two men in ragged, makeshift uniforms enter the bar. They are Regulators, the settlement law enforcement. They look over the scene and look Max and Aurora up and down. One of them addresses the barman.

REGULATOR.

 _We got a problem here Colby?_

COLBY.

 _Nah Pete, it's all good. The drifter paid Stryker compensation, he don't wanta press charges._

REGULATOR PETE. (To Max).

 _Finish up your business drifter, you've got until dawn to leave town. You're still here in the morning I'll lock up both of you._

The two "policemen" walk out of the bar.

AURORA.

 _I gotta say Max, that was pretty impressive. Four guys down in less than a minute, you got some mean fighting skills there my friend._

MAX.

 _Let's go get the fuel._

They leave Stryker's Bar.

EXT. FREEHOLD - GRIMALDI'S ESTABLISHMENT - NIGHT.

Max has retrieved the Interceptor. It is parked behind Grimaldi's place. The trader's man is carrying out jerry cans of fuel and stacking them next to the vehicle.

CLOSE UP ON:

The rear underside of the Interceptor. Bundles of dynamite are attached to the chassis. There is a plate with an electrical circuit and a switch affixed to it. Max reaches in and flicks the switch to the off position, the booby trap is disabled. Aurora emerges bearing two more jerry cans.

AURORA.

 _That's the lot._

MAX.

 _One thing, never touch the fuel tanks. They're booby trapped and you'll blow yourself sky high._

He begins refuelling. Aurora takes out both the maps and studies them.

AURORA.

 _From here to the Regulator outpost is nearly 100 kays. As best I can figure the route through the Darklands is about 250 - 300 kays, from there to the Third City is about another 200, allowing for unforseen developments say another 150 to be cautious. We're looking at a trip of about 750 kilometres._

MAX.

 _With the main tank and the three auxilliary tanks I've got a maximum range of 800 kilometres. I've burned through two thirds of the fuel I left Gastown with so that gives us a little extra juice in the remaining jerry cans, maybe another 100 kilometres. Considering you don't know how accurate these maps are, that's a pretty slim margin._

AURORA.

 _Yeah I know, it's a pity this stuff wasn't on my father's old mining survey maps, they're dead accurate._

MAX.

 _I want to get on the road as soon as I've refueled. That fat raider might have more friends around._

Max continues filling the tanks.


	3. Dragon's Domain

EXT. WASTELAND - DAWN.

The Interceptor is speeding through the wasteland as the sun is beginning to rise.

Aurora is looking over Yakuza Jack's map. Max yawns, he has been driving through the night since they left Freehold settlement.

AURORA.

 _You want me to drive for awhile?_

MAX.

 _No, I'm going to stop when the sun is up. Need to eat and rest._

Out of the pre dawn darkness, four wastelander vehicles emerge and the Interceptor is boxed in. The vehicle on the left is driven by Yakuza Jack. Max steers hard left into the smaller vehicle which veers away and then returns, keeping pace with the heavy V8.

The raider in the passenger seat in the vehicle on Max's right aims a crossbow at Max, though he is having trouble lining up the shot as the vehicle is bouncing on the rough wasteland track. One hand on the wheel, Max grabs his sawn off shotgun and extending his arm out the window, fires both barrels at the raider. Max has the advantage as the shotgun does not require the precise aim a crossbow does. At close range the passenger and driver are both hit by the lethal shotgun blast and the vehicle slows and rolls to a halt.

Max wrenches the wheel hard left into the vehicle on this side and the smaller, lighter vehicle is sent veering off out of control, it rolls a number of times, the poorly constructed gas tank ignites and the vehicle is consumed by the fireball.

The other two vehicles are keeping pace. Max engages the supercharger and floors the accelerator, the Interceptor pulls rapidly away from the slower vehicles, which are soon left far behind in the wasteland. After twenty minutes Max kills the supercharger and the Interceptor slows.

MAX.

 _I should have killed that fat tub of lard when I had the chance. Better not stop for a while in case those two are still following._

AURORA.

 _The Regulator outpost isn't too far from here, another 30 kays or so, they won't follow us there._

The Interceptor drives on as the sun rises above the horizon.

EXT. WASTELAND - REGULATOR OUTPOST - DAY.

The Interceptor is approaching a compound. Structures constructed from old shipping containers surround a small concrete blockhouse on three sides, a number of vehicles are parked within the compound.

The outpost sits in a gap between the wasteland hills, there is a barricade that closes off the small narrow valley at the far end. Rusted barbed wire, derelict vehicles, scrap and sand filled 44 gallon drums, defences line the barricade, a number of mounted winch cranked crossbows, two mounted flamethrowers and a vintage 25 pounder cannon, liberated from some old armoury where it had been mothballed since the Second World War. The defences are unmanned but there is a lookout stationed. The wasteland track runs toward a barrier gate in the barricade that allows access to the Zone.

Far off in the distance, the enormous heavy dark grey cloud bank that permanently shrouds the Darklands can be seen in the sky.

They pull up next to the outpost, a few of the Regulators are standing outside in their ragged uniforms. One of them limps over to the Interceptor as Max and Aurora exit the vehicle. The man is thin and wiry, yet there is an impression of strength in his frame. The man's face is a network of wrinkles and scars, a map that tells of the roads travelled and battles fought in the wasteland. He could be anywhere between 50 and 70 years of age, a grizzled veteran.

REGULATOR CAPTAIN.

 _A V8 Interceptor, I haven't seen one of these in a hell of a long time._

He looks over the battered old MFP pursuit vehicle and notes Max's pursuit driver's leather jacket.

REGULATOR CAPTAIN.

 _She's sure seen some hard miles and that's a fact. You don't look old enough to have been in the Force before the war, you steal the car and the jacket son?_

MAX.

 _I'm older than I look. I was with Melbourne MFP, served under sergeant Macafee._

REGULATOR CAPTAIN.

 _Fifi Macafee, no shit?_

MAX.

 _You knew him?_

REGULATOR CAPTAIN.

 _Yeah I knew him. Sergeant Kennedy, Sun City MFP at your service. I was retired when the war broke out, caught a bullet in a firefight with an Armalite gang five years before, had this limp ever since. Where are you two headed?_

AURORA.

 _Into the Darklands._

REGULATOR CAPTAIN.

 _You're going into the Zone? I wouldn't advise it, no one who has gone in has ever come back._

AURORA.

 _You can't stop us Captain._

REGULATOR CAPTAIN.

 _It's not my job to stop people entering the Zone. We're here in case something nasty comes out, Freehold settlement is only 90 kilometres from here, we're the first line of defence._

AURORA.

 _Have any threats ever emerged from the Zone Captain?_

REGULATOR CAPTAIN.

 _Not a thing. But wastelanders are a superstitious lot, you've heard the rumours of the horrors they believe inhabit the Zone. Giant mutant beasts, lizards the size of dinosaurs, superhuman mutants with psychic powers, spiders as big as cars, bloodsucking mosquitoes as big as your head. All of course total bullshit, mutations like that are scientifically impossible._

AURORA.

 _Radiation is probably the biggest hazard in the Zone._

REGULATOR CAPTAIN.

 _Wait here a minute._

Captain Kennedy goes into the blockhouse. He returns a few minutes later.

He pins a small rectangular white plastic badge about the size of a credit card to Max's jacket, and another to Aurora's flying jacket.

CAPTAIN KENNEDY.

 _Radiation dosimeters, they measure your level of exposure, if they turn completely blue you're fucked._

AURORA.

 _Thank you Captain._

They get in and Max starts the engine. He nods at Kennedy as they pass.

CAPTAIN KENNEDY.

 _Good luck, I hope you make it. OK CLEAVE LET 'EM THROUGH._

The Regulator manning the checkpoint opens the barrier. The Interceptor drives through and the man closes the barrier.

They drive on toward the Darklands. The soil of the wasteland is now a deep, dark red. Strange vegetation dots the wasteland. They drive past tall structures composed of the red soil, they are Termite mounds, measuring six to ten metres across at the base and reaching twenty five to thirty metres in height.

The sky overhead is becoming overcast and the red soil is turning a dead grey colour the closer they get to the Zone. The large termite mounds are crumbling and collapsed, the few trees here are withered and dead.

They drive past a crashed plane. A 747 passenger airliner, the rusted old derelict has one wing torn completely off, the other wing is bent at a right angle to the fuselage which has been ripped into three sections by the crash. There is a massive furrow the jet gouged out of the wasteland soil when it crashed. The cockpit section is resting nose down and as they drive past they can see the skeletons of the captain and co - pilot still strapped in to their seats, where they died many years ago.

AURORA.

 _I wonder what it's like to fly something that big, it must have weighed tons, it's a wonder they could get those things off the ground._

The sky overhead is now totally dark. They have reached the Zone border. There is a radiation suited skeleton hanging from a cross like a scarecrow and a stencil lettered sign:

You Are Now Entering the Dark Zone. Slaughterhouse Road. High Radiation Hazard.

There is a large Gasmasked Skull and Crossbones logo stencilled underneath.

EXT. SLAUGHTERHOUSE ROAD - THE DARKLANDS - DAY.

The Interceptor is travelling through a blasted landscape, headlights on. The sky is heavily overcast, polluted and threatening, the Darklands exist in a dim grey twilight during the day. At night the Zone is pitch black darkness.

Dead trees, stunted and deformed dot the landscape. The dash mounted geiger counter begins clicking and chattering to itself. They pass barren fields littered with the radiation bleached skeletons of dead cattle. The ancient highway passes the crumbling cooling towers of a decaying nuclear power plant. Max engages the Supercharger and floors the accelerator, speeding up to escape the irradiated zone.

A few kilometers down the highway they come upon a ruined town. Decrepit buildings line the road, slowly crumbling back into the dust from whence they came. The Interceptor slows as they approach an intersection and turn left. As the headlights briefly illuminate one of the buildings, six or seven pairs of eyes flare red and disappear. The Interceptor continues on down the highway, the ruins receeding in the rear view mirror.

A metallic clunking sound can be heard coming from the Interceptor's engine. Max slows the vehicle and pulls off the ancient roadway.

MAX.

 _I don't like the sound of that, I better check it out._

He checks the geiger counter reading.

MAX.

 _It's hot, but not too bad, as long as we don't stay more than an hour we'll be OK._

Aurora checks the Darklands map.

AURORA.

 _According to this the first dead zone is sixty klicks away. It's labeled The Plains of Glass and Steel._

They both exit the vehicle. Max opens the Interceptor's hood and begins tinkering with the engine. Aurora, armed with her father's Winchester rifle is scanning the area. Further up the road are the ruins of an old country church house.

AURORA.

 _I'm going to check out those ruins._

She crosses the dilapidated highway and walks toward the church.

Aurora enters the church, the roof has partially collapsed.

The pews are filled with grinning skeletons dressed in decaying remnants of clothing. A macabre congregation. Spray painted in large red letters behind the pulpit are the words "Repent and Ye shall be Saved."

INT. INTERCEPTOR - SLAUGHTERHOUSE ROAD - THE DARKLANDS - DAY.

The repairs complete, Max and Aurora are continuing their journey.

AURORA.

 _What was that building?_

MAX.

 _It was called a church, something people believed in called religion._

AURORA.

 _I know about religion, they believed there was an invisible man living in the sky. There was a message "Repent and ye shall be Saved". What does it mean? Why did those people stay there to die?_

MAX.

 _Because they believed that the invisible man would save them if they were sorry for all the bad things they had done._

AURORA.

 _Hah, repenting didn't do those people any good did it. People believed some crazy stuff before the war._

MAX. (chuckles)

 _People still believe in all sorts of crazy stuff, it gives them comfort._

They continue on in the dim grey twilight gloom that is as light as the daytime gets in the Darklands.

EXT. SLAUGHTERHOUSE ROAD - THE PLAINS OF GLASS AND STEEL - DAY.

The Interceptor is parked on a hill overlooking a vast endless plain of fused steel, glass and concrete where once a proud city stood. The dead plains have no end in sight, it is a vast graveyard, the tomb of millions. The hills surrounding are burnt and blasted. No deformed trees, no vegetation, nothing at all in the surrounding areas. The old decrepit highway disappears into the Dead Plains.

Aurora consults the map, there is a long detour around the Plains of Glass and Steel.

Max starts the Interceptor, they drive for hours making a wide detour around the Dead Plains. Max checks the geiger counter reading, the radiation levels are falling the further they travel away from the Plains of Glass and Steel.

EXT. SLAUGHTERHOUSE ROAD - THE DARKLANDS - SUNSET.

Night is falling in the Darklands, the dim grey twilight of the Dark Zone day is fading fast, the nights are pitch black as no moonlight can penetrate the the grey polluted cloud cover. They pull over to camp for the night. Sheet Lightning lights up the black clouds, and briefly illuminates the total darkness.

It starts to rain. Max and Aurora unfold the Rad Tarp and setting up the folding steel poles that support it they cover the Interceptor. The rain is warm. They sit inside watching the vast lightning storm as the rain pours down. Aurora inspects the dosimeter pinned to her leather flying jacket. There is now a thin blue line down one edge of the milky white badge.

AURORA.

 _Even if we don't pick up a lethal dose, we'll probably shorten our lives significantly._

MAX.

 _Oh well, life expectancy is short in the wasteland anyway, not many make it to old age._

AURORA.

 _Sterility, cancers, leukemia, mutation, non lethal radiation exposure isn't pretty._

MAX.

 _I'll worry about it if and when it happens. You know a bit about radiation, you've obviously had an education._

AURORA.

 _I never went to school, before the war we lived on remote mining communities. My father taught me to drive, fly and shoot, my mother taught me to read and write. The City Elders had books in Newhaven, dictionaries, medical textbooks, I read them whenever I had a chance._

MAX.

 _We better get some sleep, I want to get moving at dawn._

Max reclines the driver's seat, folds up his leather jacket as a pillow, places it against the door frame and stretches out. Within minutes he is asleep.

The rain and lightning continue. Aurora sits looking out at the storm and contemplating, it is a long time before she too settles back and goes to sleep.

EXT. SLAUGHTERHOUSE ROAD - DAY.

The old highway follows the lowlands between the blasted hills. It is slow going, the old road is in very bad shape. Max slowly maneuvers around holes in the crumbling, cracked asphalt. At times the Interceptor slows to a crawl as Max guides the vehicle through the obstacles.

The highway enters a large open space surrounded by the hills. The Interceptor drives through the remains of a large encampment, it appears to be long dead. The rusted hulks of many vehicles rest on flat, deteriorated tyres, the old vehicles are settling slowly into the dead, grey soil. Ramshackle tentlike structures curtained with rags line the open area, built from cannibalised panels, doors and hoods removed from the derelict cars. Outside these structures are the remains of cooking fires. As they drive past they see a grisly sight.

The remains of old fires and rusted cooking pots. Stacked up next to these are large piles of human bones.

AURORA.

 _One of the scav gangs that came looking for salvage. Looks like they got stranded here and ended up eating each other._

Unseen by Max and Aurora. Figures are starting to emerge from the lashed together stuctures. Ghostly forms, in the dim light of the Darklands. They are mutant people, bald, emaciated, almost skeletal, grey pallid skin, dressed in rags, totally feral.

There is an impact on the wire mesh protected windscreen. A large rock bounces of with a reverberating clang, Max and Aurora see they are surrounded by the feral mutants. Brandishing clubs and rocks they attack the Interceptor, which is slowly maneuvering around the obstacles. They try and grab onto the vehicle. One manages to hold on. Aurora draws her revolver, shoves it in the mutants grey skull like face and pulls the trigger. The dead mutant falls off and hits the ground. Rocks and rusted old car parts thrown by the ferals are slamming into the Interceptor. The mutants smash at the vehicle with steel rods stripped from the derelict scav vehicles. One jumps onto the hood and Max swerves to try and shake it off, but it manages to cling on.

The Interceptor speeds up as the obstacles diminish. The main pack of the feral mutants are left behind yelling and waving their makeshift weapons in the air. Max accelerates faster over the dead soil, the mutant still clinging on to the hood. Suddenly Max stamps on the clutch and brake pedal, the mutant flies off the hood and smashes into one of the deformed trees at high velocity, as the vehicle stops dead. It doesn't move. Max drives on. The hills are starting to close back in on the highway, although the road is in better shape this side of the scav camp.

They round a bend. There is a roadblock of rusted vehicles ahead. Max brakes and the Interceptor rolls to a halt. There is a narrow gap on the right side of the roadblock between a rusted hulk and the rocky hill that runs beside the highway. It looks barely wider than the large V8. Max backs the vehicle up a short distance and eyes the narrow gap. It is barely wide enough, the clearance is scant centimetres.

Behind them the mutants have caught up and are running toward the car. Max revs the engine as the mutants reach the vehicle and takes off at high speed aiming straight at the narrow gap. The Interceptor passes through with milimetres to spare, scraping the derelict vehicle on the passenger side, sparks fly and there is a shriek of steel grinding steel, but they are through. The feral mutants wave their clubs in the air, shouting and grunting as their prey escapes.

A few kilometres further down the road, the car is dragging and listing to the right on a flat tyre. Max pulls up near a large sickly looking green lake and kills the engine. They get out and Max takes the spare tyre, wheel brace and jack out of the trunk. He takes off his jacket and begins to change the tyre. Aurora takes the binoculars and checks the direction they had come from but there is nothing to see.

Back behind a hill out of sight a crowd of the feral mutants has gathered. They appear to be arguing, gesticulating and grunting, some are in favour of attacking the humans, the others appear to be afraid of the lake. The debased ghost of english speech can be discerned at times in the voices of the feral creatures. The argument is over and the pack walks off back to their camp, undeterred the few starving mutants who had been in favour of attacking Max and Aurora, sneak up using the derelict vehicles as cover. They take up a vantage point behind a rusted hulk near the lake and observe the two people.

EXT. THE DARKLANDS - SLAUGHTERHOUSE ROAD - TOXIC LAKE - DAY.

The Interceptor is parked next to the large toxic lake near the cracked decaying highway. Max's leather jacket and shotgun holster hang from the corner of the open driver's door. The humidity is opressive and Max is sweating as he jacks the vehicle up to change the flat tyre.

Aurora is scanning the area with the binoculars. The earth is a dull grey colour, no vegetation aside from the few deformed trees. A cluster of ruins can be seen in the distance. The water of the lake is a sickly green colour, a yellow/green mist hangs above the foul water. A few solitary beams of sunlight pearce the heavy grey cloud cover. Far out on the lake submerged gas pockets bubble to the surface. A few derelict vehicles are about, rusted and decaying, some contain grinning skeletons.

A mutant crow, it's one eye is glazed, a vestigial limb growing from one of it's legs, sits on a withered tree branch, it's deformed head cocked to one side as if listening to the two people below. More mutant crows land on the branches of the stunted, deformed trees. Watching the two people like they are waiting.

Aurora returns to the Interceptor, Max is undoing the bolts on the flat tyre.

AURORA.

 _There's no sign of them following us._

MAX.

 _This won't take too long, keep an eye out._

A line of bubbles appears at the centre of the lake, moving toward the shore close to where Max's vehicle is parked.

A large creature emerges from the lake. A grotesquely mutated crocodile, about 15 metres in length. It's skin is a semi - translucent greyish colour. It's black reptilian eyes are glazed over with a milky membrane, it is blind, it seeks it's prey by sound and smell. Short Vestigial limbs grow from it's torso and long quivering tendrils line it's mouth. It's head moves back and forth scenting the air, it stops as it picks up the human scent. The creature breathes with a hideous gurgling wheeze. It belches foul gasses and bellows a low roar.

The two turn and see the mutant beast approaching.

AURORA.

 _That is one ugly mother._

Aurora aims her rifle at the creature and fires, the bullets bounce off the creatures thick, scaly hide. It continues advancing.

She again sights on the beast. She fires and the shot penetrates one of the blind eyes, the beast roars in pain and thrashes it's head around snapping at the air trying to bite the unseen thing that hurt it.

MAX.

 _Grab the sniper rifle. I loaded it with hollow points._

Aurora takes out the sniper rifle and lines up the shot. She fires and the hollow point round enters the beasts mouth, the mutant crocodile's head is obliterated and it explodes with a spray of greyish red blood and brain matter. The creature dies with a belching sigh of escaping gasses.

CLOSE UP ON:

The green toxic lake. Many trails of air bubbles are converging on the shore where the car is parked.

AURORA.

 _Hurry up Max, we got more of those things._

Another of the beasts emerges from the water and advances on the Interceptor. Aurora drops to one knee, sights through the scope and fires. The shot misses, she utters a muttered curse and again sights on the approaching mutant, this time the shot is on target and the beast explodes in a spray of bloody flesh and disintegrated bone. More of the beasts emerge from the waters of the toxic lake.

Max has the spare tyre on and is tightening up the bolts. Aurora is taking shots at the approaching mutant crocs, another one explodes in a cloud of flesh, blood and bone, but there are too many of the beasts.

The tyre is secured. Max throws the flat tyre, jack and wheel brace back into the trunk and dives into the driver's seat. Aurora gets in as Max starts the vehicle, the tyres spin as he accelerates and the Interceptor speeds away from the toxic lake.

Behind the vehicle near the lake the ferals have panicked at the sight of the mutant crocs, the beasts that were advancing on the departed Interceptor turn their attention to the feral human mutants. Two of the ferals run off and manage to avoid the advancing crocs, but one isn't so lucky. One of the mutant beasts cuts off his escape and clamps it's jaws around the feral's leg and begins dragging him back towards the lake. The mutant is screaming as another croc grabs its torso and the two beasts fight a grim tug of war with the skeletal grey skinned feral human.

The two who managed to escape watch as their companion is torn apart by the mutant beasts and the two crocs slide back under the water bearing their grisly burdens.

FADE TO BLACK.

 **Authors Note.**

 **Are you liking the story? hating the story? Any and all Feedback would be greatly appreciated, positive or negative. The story is getting a lot of hits but it's hard to judge what people think without any feedback. Constructive criticism always welcome, do people want to read more of this story? Or am I just wasting my time? Let us know ya thoughts.**


	4. The Wrath of Plantagenet

**Authors Note.**

 **Are you liking the story? hating the story? Any and all Feedback would be greatly appreciated, positive or negative. The story is getting a lot of hits but it's hard to judge what people think without any feedback. Constructive criticism always welcome, do people want to read more of this story? Or am I just wasting my time? Let us know ya thoughts. It only takes a minute to leave a review. I know at least five people are liking it out of hundreds, how about some feedback?**

EXT. SLAUGHTERHOUSE ROAD - DARKLANDS - DAY.

As the journey through the Dark Zone continues many strange sights are revealed to Max and Aurora.

In the far off distance a ruined city can be seen in the dim light. The ruins of the skyscrapers have a melted appearance. The steel and glass towers were liquefied in the furnace of the Hell on Earth unleashed on that long ago day and the molten structures have solidified like melted candles.

There is a long detour around the nuked ruins, they travel for many hours. The terrain is becoming mountainous.

EXT. SLAUGHTERHOUSE ROAD - DARKLANDS - LATE AFTERNOON.

The dim light is beginning to fade.

INT. INTERCEPTOR.

Max checks the geiger counter. The radiation levels are starting to drop significantly. He looks at Aurora's dosimeter it is now half blue, his is the same.

AURORA.

 _Well Max my friend we're nearly out of the Zone, only another 100 kilometres to the border._

MAX.

 _I'll relax when we reach Arkadia, there could still be anything out there._

AURORA.

 _Hey we got through the worst the could Darklands throw at us, I've got a good feeling, we'll make it._

MAX.

 _That's it, we can't go much further today._

Aurora studies the map.

AURORA.

 _We're coming up on what's labelled The Valley of The Dead, sounds like a cheery place to spend the night._

MAX.

 _Not much choice I'm afraid._

EXT. SLAUGHTERHOUSE ROAD - DARKLANDS - NIGHTFALL.

The Interceptor is following a narrow track through a ravine leading to the large valley. As they enter the valley the reason for it's name is revealed in all it's horrific detail.

Hundreds of crucified skeletons face the valley's entrance, clothing decayed to rags, surrounded by the burnt out hulks of wastelander vehicles. Mutant crows sit upon many of the skeletons, watching them pass. Max and Aurora silently take in the tableaux of crucified scavs and wasteland warriors. The light is fading fast.

AURORA.

 _There's hundreds of them, who do you think did this?_

MAX.

 _I don't know, but it looks like they've been here for years._

AURORA.

 _Let's keep going a bit further huh?_

It is full dark now. Max has slown the Interceptor's speed to a crawl, weaving through the obstacles illuminated by the headlights as they slowly traverse the vast graveyard of warriors and vehicles. They are finally through the forest of death, there are many bizarre rock formations throughout the valley, carved by years of wind and Zone weather. Max stops the vehicle.

MAX.

 _OK we're clear, I can't go any further it burns too much fuel having to navigate all these obstacles in low gear._

AURORA.

 _That's alright Max as long as we can't see them I'll be able to get some sleep._

Max and Aurora have a meal, the Camel jerky from Grimaldi with dried fruits and nuts provided by Furiosa from the Citadel's hydroponic crops. The wind begins to blow and a small dust storm is precipitated. A bloodcurdling moaning and wailing sound can be heard as the winds blow through the rock formations.

AURORA.

 _If I was the superstitious type I'd say this place was haunted by the souls of the crucified._

MAX.

 _It's just the wind._

The air is filled with the dead grey zone soil, dust motes dance on the air inside the car. Max and Aurora have wrapped scarves around their faces.

The storm persists for hours. Aurora sees something in the darkness.

AURORA.

 _Did you see that? I thought I saw a light out there._

Max stares out into the dust storm.

MAX.

 _I can't see anything._

They watch for a while but nothing is revealed to them. They relax and sit back when they see:

A ghostly procession of figures dressed in old radiation suits and hooded Rad Cloaks appears from the gloom, 10 people roped together in single file, the leader is holding aloft some sort of electric light. As they watch the procession passes in front of them about 70 metres away and is swallowed up in the dust, darkness and rock formations. They see the light for a short time until it also fades in the gloom.

In spite of the howling wind Aurora dozes off. With a start she awakens, she yawns and looks out. With a shock she sees the vehicle is surrounded by the radiation suited, rad cloaked figures. She reaches around behind her for her rifle.

MAX.

 _Just sit still, they've been out there for the last ten minutes, not moving just watching. The storm's nearly over, I think it's time to move on._

Max starts the engine and puts the car in gear, as he accelerates the engine revs shrilly, they do not move.

CLOSE UP ON:

The rear wheels. They are spinning uselessly centimeters above the ground. Under cover of the storm the Rad suited figures have jacked up the rear of the Interceptor very slightly so the back wheels are not making contact with the ground. The Radiation suited figures are now pointing weapons at them.

AURORA.

 _Who do you think they are?_

MAX.

 _I don't know._

The doors are wrenched open and Max and Aurora are pulled roughly from the Interceptor. They are forced to their knees at gunpoint. Max resists and the Rad suited figure who appears to be in charge slams his weapon into the back of Max's legs and two figures drag him down. Their hands are handcuffed behind their backs and then Max and Aurora are pulled to their feet. The jack under the rear of the Interceptor is let down.

NACHZEHRER.

 _Rat Face,_ _Fishguts, Crabs, Benzo, take the scavs back to the transport. Baal and Belial follow 'em in the scav's vehicle._

HAVOC.

 _We aint going to hoist 'em up with the others for the crows?_

NACHZEHRER.

 _No, Plantagenet wants more workers for The Factory, these two look fit and healthy get plenty of work out of 'em. Powerful vehicle, it'd be more use to us than burning it. Take 'em to Plantagenet once they've been decontaminated._

MAX.

 _The tanks are wired to blow, don't touch them._

NACHZEHRER.

 _Baal, Belial,_ _don't touch the tanks, the Professor can disable the booby trap later._

Max and Aurora are marched to an old yellow school bus parked out of sight behind a rock formation. They are herded aboard and forced to sit, their handcuffs are locked to the seat's steel frame. A few of the seats are occupied: shackled, forlorn and morose they are relatives of the grey skinned, skeletal feral mutant people Max and Aurora encountered two days before.

One of the radiation suited figures enters the bus and sits down in the driver's seat. He closes the door and starts the ancient vehicle. He takes an ancient mic from the dash next to the steering wheel and speaks into it, his amplified voice crackles and feedback whines as his voice issues from the ancient speakers:

SYPHILIS STEVE.

 _Can all passengers please extinguish cigarettes and fasten seat belts and we'll be on our way. I'm your captain Syphilis Steve and I wish you all a pleasant journey on Dark Zone Coach Tours, thank you._

AURORA.

 _Great, a fucking comedian._

SYPHILIS STEVE.

 _Please direct all passenger complaints to Head Office, Complaints Dept. You can fill out a form upon arrival at our destination, thank you._

As day begins to dawn the bus drives off, the Interceptor following behind. The vehicular procession travels for some hours. As they near the Dead Coast the border of the dark overcast of the Zone and clear blue sky can be seen many kilometeres out to sea.

EXT. DEAD COAST - EDGE OF THE DARK ZONE - DAY.

They are driving along the old coastal road, on one side is the ruined seaside city. Though the damage here was caused by a tsunami not nuclear destruction. Far off course from it's designated target, a nuke exploded 800 kilometres out to sea and the resulting tsunami destroyed vast sections of the city. The shoreline has receded and the new shoreline is now many kilometres away, the ocean can be seen reflecting sunlight far off in the distance.

The road was once covered with vehicles and debris from the tsunami but it has obviously been cleared in the intervening years, the rubble and debris that once covered the road has been piled in large mounds on either side. Max and Aurora take in the ruined coastal port.

On the dried and cracked mudbank which was once sea floor lies the debris from the ruined city dragged out by the tsunami and deposited in the bay, to be slowly revealed as the bay waters evaporated and the shore receded.

Rusted vehicles, dead trees, concrete, steel and building debris, rest amongst the skeletons of dead fish and people. The bleached skeleton of a long dead whale lies further out on the dried mud.

The rusting hulk of a beached oil tanker rests on the baked mudflats where it was deposited by the tsunami. On the hull of the beached ship can be seen a latticework of crude scaffolding from the ground to the deck. A makeshift system of pipes run from the ship back to the shore and disappears into a large structure constructed out of the debris of old buildings.

Once past the ruined city, the coastal road again runs inland and they are back in a mountainous region of the Zone. The two vehicle convoy slows as they turn off the main road and travel down a dirt track, they come to a large wire fence with a gate. There is a sign attached to the ancient rusting fence.

 **U.S. Air Force. Naroonga Gap Base. NORAD Early Warning Network. Southern Installation #5.**

They drive through the gate which is manned by two armed, radiation suited figures. They follow the track for a few kilometres. Structures begin to appear beside the track. Dwellings constructed from scavenged materials become more and more numerous the further they travel. People and vehicles are everywhere. They are approaching a small mountain that is surrounded by a large shanty town. Dwellings and establishments line the streets, there is a large market in and surrounding a long warehouse like structure. What appears to be an oil refinery: Steel towers, pipework and storage tanks dominate the skyline at the far end of the large shanty town. The vehicles approach the mountain and halt at a massive steel blast door. The bus driver sounds the vehicles horn and the blast door proceeds to rumble slowly open.

SYPHILIS STEVE.

 _Welcome to your destination, thank you for choosing to travel Dark Zone Coach Tours._

The bus drives in to the mountain shelter, travelling along the large concrete corridors until it exits into an underground garage facility. The driver parks the bus in a free alcove amongst many containing vehicles, busses, wastelander vehicles, a fleet of aircraft refueler tankers. The door opens and a squad of radiation suited figures unlock the captives and march them off the bus at gunpoint. Once the driver has exited a decontamination team begin scrubbing down the bus. As Max and Aurora are led away, the Interceptor enters the garage facility and Baal parks the vehicle in an alcove.

They march down a corridor. a sign on the wall reads: DECONTAMINATION They are led into a tiled room divided into stalls. Chains hang from the ceiling. Max and Aurora are led into seperate stalls, stripped naked and shackled to the hanging chains, their clothes are bundled and taken away. A radiation suited figure enters and sprays them with a white solution from a rubber hose. He walks around them ensuring they are well coated all over with the white substance, when he is satisfied he shuts off the hose and steps back. Two more figures in rad suits enter. They have long handled, bristled brushes and they start to scrub the two captives thoroughly, front and back. When they have thoroughly scrubbed Max and Aurora from head to toe they step back and the first man sprays them with cold water from another hose, washing away the white solution. Once they are clear he turns off the water and checks them with a geiger counter. Satisfied, he calls in another rad suited guard bearing bundles of grey cloth, he indicates that Max and Aurora dry and dress themselves.

INT. NAROONGA GAP NORAD BASE - EMPEROR PLANTAGENET'S THRONE ROOM.

Max and Aurora dressed in threadbare grey coveralls, hands cuffed in front of them, are being marched along a concrete and steel corridor by two of the rad suited guards. They approach the entrance to a large chamber and lead the two captives inside. This was once the Norad control centre, banks of dead machinery, computers and video monitors line the large room and a large video monitor dominates one entire wall.

The two guards snap to attention and salute a man sitting on a raised platform. The man is dressed in the threadbare remnants of a military uniform, that has been patched many times. The left side of his face is covered in tumours and a black eye patch covers his ruined left eye. His black hair is cropped short.

GUARD.

 _Two scavs caught in the Dead Forest. No mutation, they're fit and healthy._

PLANTAGENET.

 _Spies and assassins more likely, who sent you? What is your mission?_

AURORA.

 _No one sent us, we're not spies. We're only trying to reach our settlement._

PLANTAGENET.

 _The despised norms again defile our sacred sanctuary. This land that was blessed by the Lord's holy fallout when he cast down the holy fire on the cities descended from Sodom and Gommorah, sparing only us his chosen warriors so we may undertake our mighty crusade against the infidel norms. All will fall to their knees and tremble when they gaze upon my Army of The Righteous and they will pay obeisance to I, Emperor Plantagenet the Messiah King under the Mountain, he who is destined to rule the wasteland as the living incarnation of the Almighty._

GUARD.

 _What should we do wth the norms your holiness?_

PLANTAGENET.

 _Take them to The Factory, the Professor needs fit, healthy workers. If they refuse to co-operate they can assist "feeding" the livestock._

The two guards salute Plantagenet and march the captives out of the control room. As they are marched through a long tunnel to The Factory Max and Aurora address the guards. One remains silent, whilst the other answers.

MAX.

 _Your "Emperor" is a few cans short of a six pack, he doesn't seriously believe he can conquer every tribe and settlement in the wasteland?_

GUARD 1.

 _He can and will, one tribe at a time scav. Once word of our glorious victories spread, many would flock to us and join our righteous crusade to unite the wasteland under a single Emperor._

AURORA.

 _The wasteland tribes and settlements would unite against you, your army would be outnumbered thousands to one._

GUARD 1.

 _No tribal alliance will be able to withstand the Wrath of Plantagenet, if the Emperor unleashes the Iron Fist of God armies of millions shall be transformed into pillars of salt. When the invasion begins all will fall to the Army of the Righteous or join the holy crusade._

They have reached a steel door at the end of the long corridor, guarded by two armed men. The guard opens the hatch and ushers the two captives inside. It is a vast laboratory workshop: chemical apparatus, tubes, boiling flasks and bubbling fluids in beakers, covers some of the workbenches, there is even a functioning computer monitor at one workstation. All sorts of electrical equipment, jars of chemicals, scientific textbooks and gas masks line shelves set against the walls of the lab. Part of the lab is a mechanical workshop, with lathes, steel presses, drills and what appear to be stripped down motors in various states of disrepair sitting on workbenches. Multi core electrical cables run from the machinery into a room with an open door. From within the sound of generators can be heard.

GUARD 2.

 _HEY PROF WE GOT TWO NEW WORKERS FOR YOU, YOU IN THERE?_

A man emerges from the generator room wiping his hands on an oily rag. He is about seventy years old, though he appears fit and sprightly, his eyes are covered by cracked spectacles, obviously repaired many times, there is a mischevious youthful gleam in his eyes.

GUARD 2.

 _They found these two in the Dead Forest, both strong and healthy._

THE PROFESSOR.

 _Good I can definitely use the assistance Argonath my friend. How are Cane and Able responding to the medicine?_

ARGONATH.

 _They are recovering slowly, their lungs sound a lot clearer, the medicine you gave me is working._

The Professor goes over to a shelf and takes down a sealed jar full of white powder. He pours out a large quantity onto a sheet of paper and folds it up into a small package, this he hands to the guard Argonath.

THE PROFESSOR.

 _This will be sufficient to restore their health, same dose one teaspoon in a glass of water morning and night._

ARGONATH.

 _I don't know how I can ever repay you for curing my sons Prof. Let me know if this pair give you any trouble._

The two soldiers leave the laboratory.

THE PROFESSOR.

 _Welcome to The Factory, everyone calls me The Professor or just Prof._

AURORA.

 _I'm Aurora and this is Max._

Max just grunts.

THE PROFESSOR.

 _Aurora, a beautiful name befitting a beauty such as you my dear. Both of you roll up your sleeves._

The Professor goes over to a refrigerated cabinet and removes two hypodermic syringes. He removes the cap from one and grasps Aurora's arm.

AURORA.

 _What's in the syringe?_

THE PROFESSOR.

 _It's Hyronalin a derivative of Adrenalin, it's used to treat radiation exposure._

Aurora holds out her arm and The Professor injects the solution. Max is dubious.

THE PROFESSOR.

 _I understand your reticence Max, but I am as much a prisoner here as you. You noticed the armed guards outside? I am not trying to poison you, this will counter the dose you accumulated in the Zone._

Max relents and the Prof shoots the liquid into a vein.

AURORA.

 _So what is this Factory? What do you do here?_

THE PROFESSOR.

 _Let me show you around. The Factory is host to many projects, from chemistry labs, machine shops, hydroponic crops, livestock pens, the refinery and desalinisation facilities._

AURORA.

 _And you run all this alone?_

THE PROFESSOR.

 _I hold degrees in Physics, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering and a knowledge of drugs and medicine. Call me a scientific dilletante my dear._

AURORA.

 _Why don't the clouds clear? the Dark Years were over years ago, the long winter has passed._

MAX.

 _Why isn't it cold here?_

THE PROFESSOR.

 _The Dark Zone is the result of a meteorological anomaly, an inversion, whether it is natural or the result of the nuclear strikes I don't know. Nor why the Zone is so humid instead of freezing in the nuclear winter it should be experiencing. Meteorology is not my field of expertise. Anyway It's nearly time to feed the livestock._

They ascend a steel stairwell many levels. They pass through the refinery complex, massive storage tanks containing millions of litres of refined fuel.

THE PROFESSOR.

 _It took twenty years to pump and refine the oil from the beached tanker._

MAX.

 _How can the fuel be any good after so long? I know for a fact that fuel only remains viable for 12 months in a sealed container._

THE PROFESSOR.

 _There are substances that can be added to fuel to extend it's shelf life, I have developed an additive that extends it's viability permanently._

They continue on through the complex until they reach a large room that contains a number of massive concrete tanks, waist high, covered in a wire mesh. Max and Aurora look into a tank, it contains thousands of large, scuttling, shiny black insects. They are giant cockroaches, larger than a persons hand. Aurora backs away from the tank, her face is very pale.

AURORA.

 _I think I'm going to throw up, how can you eat those filthy, disgusting things?_

THE PROFESSOR.

 _Actually my dear they are quite clean, the tanks are regularly flushed with sea water to remove their excrement. They are a good source of protein. I need you to empty those drums into the tanks._

He indicates a number of steel drums lined up along one wall. Max and Aurora look inside them, they are filled with an organic mulch. It takes them both to lift one of the drums and one by one they empty the contents into the tanks.

The days tasks completed, Max, Aurora and The Professor have returned to his workshop.

AURORA.

 _You've got a viable, thriving settlement on the edge of the Darklands, something I wouldn't have thought possible._

THE PROFESSOR.

 _It wouldn't have been possible if the missiles had been on target, Sun City was a priority target due to the Norad base. The tsunami destroyed most of the city's infrastructure, but there was enough left intact to construct the settlement and working with the Sun City refugees Plantagenet's troops rebuilt the refinery and pumped the oil from the beached tanker._

MAX.

 _So what good is all the fuel? We saw the garage facility when we were brought in, half a dozen Humvees, a few APC's, jeeps and busses. Not anywhere near sufficient transport for an invasion._

THE PROFESSOR.

 _As you may have noticed ex Colonel Plantagenet is quite insane._

MAX.

 _So why hasn't someone a bit more rational knocked him off and taken over?_

THE PROFESSOR.

 _His troops and citizens are fiercely loyal. They view him as their saviour from the anarchy and chaos that followed the nuclear war._

At that moment the hatch opens and Argonath enters followed by another guard bearing a tray on which there are three steaming plates of food.

ARGONATH.

 _Lockdown time Prof, you know I hate havin' to lock you up but I gotta follow orders._

THE PROFESSOR.

 _I know my friend, I don't hold it against you._

He leads them to a closed door which he opens and the Prof enters the small room. It has a foldout army cot. He sits and the guard hands him the a plate of food and leaves.

ARGONATH.

 _See you in the morning._

He exits the room,and locks the door. He guides Max and Aurora to another room, the guard hands them their food and Argonath closes and locks the door. Aurora sits on one of the army cots, she contemplates the plate of food with a sour expression on her face.

AURORA.

 _I've lost my appetite, you can have it._

Max is tucking in hungrily to the soybean, lentil and cockroach meat stew, he has eaten far worse than this to survive in the wasteland.

MAX.

 _Keep your eyes open for anything we can use to escape, we're getting out of here ASAP. The old guy seems to like you maybe we can use that to our advantage._

AURORA.

 _He's a prisoner too, I wonder why he hasn't ever tried to escape?_

Max doesn't reply he has already stretched out and fallen asleep.

INT. THE PROFESSOR'S WORKSHOP - THE FACTORY - NORAD BASE.

The Professor is pouring a solution from a beaker into a boiling flask. He is explaining as he performs the tasks.

THE PROFESSOR.

 _I am making vitamin D, as there is no exposure to sunlight we are all vitamin D deficient. It can be derived from other sources though, fish liver oils, alfalfa, various lichens. I am also culturing mould and synthesising a basic antibiotic, which is succesfully curing Argonath's sons pneumonia._

AURORA.

 _So why are you a prisoner Professor? Seems like Plantagenet couldn't have built this settlement without you._

THE PROFESSOR.

 _I made myself quite unpopular with our glorious leader many years ago my dear. let me just say I vociferously opposed some of his more insane policies. I am quite essential to his plans of conquest, so he keeps me locked up and he is holding my grandchildren hostage to force my compliance._

MAX.

 _What did you object to that pissed him off enough to lock you up?_

THE PROFESSOR.

 _Ex Colonel Plantagenet is in possession of three nuclear missiles, they weren't functional and he wanted me to repair them which I of course refused to do. So he threatened my grandchildren's lives if I didn't co-operate. One of the nukes is now functional, but I am procrastinating in regard to repairing the other two._

AURORA.

 _That fucking lunatic has a functional nuclear missile?_

MAX.

 _We have to get out of here, we need your help._

THE PROFESSOR.

 _I can't help you Max, Plantagenet would harm my grandchildren if I helped you escape. I'm truly sorry._

The Professor returns his attention to the task he is performing. Max and Aurora exchange a worried look.

At that moment the steel hatch opens and two guards enter the workshop.

GUARD.

 _Plantagenet wants to see you Professor._

Whilst the other guard covers Max and Aurora, the first guard handcuffs the Professor. The other guard gestures with his weapon and Max and Aurora are herded into their cell and the guard locks them in. They exit through the steel hatch with the Professor.

INT. PLANTAGENET'S THRONE ROOM.

Two guards stand in front of Plantagenet, a kneeling shackled youth between them. The two guards enter with the Professor.

PLANTAGENET..

 _I grow weary with your reluctance to repair the remaining Instruments of God. I trust this demonstration will convince you of my determination. This young man was caught attempting to foment insurrection and is under sentence of death._

He nods at the guards, one of them pulls the youth's head back, whilst the other cuts the young man's throat from ear to ear. The young man dies, gurgling as blood streams from the gaping wound, he drops to the floor and a pool of blood grows.

PLANTAGENET.

 _You have a week to repair the remaining missiles if you do not wish your grandchildren to suffer the same fate._

THE PROFESSOR.

 _I will repair your nukes you crazy bastard, just don't hurt my grandchildren. I want to see them first before I do though._

PLANTAGENET.

 _There is no negotiation, once the missiles are functional you will join your family. Once they have been repaired you will be reunited, not before. Take him back to the Factory and send in Septor and Strega to clean up this mess._

The two guards lead the handcuffed Professor out of the throne room.

INT. CELL - THE FACTORY - NORAD BASE.

It is the early hours of the morning. Max and Aurora are both asleep when the cell door is unlocked and Argonath the guard enters the room. Max is awake instantly. The Professor is behind him. The guard throws two bundles onto Aurora's cot, Max and Aurora's own clothes

ARGONATH.

 _Get up and get dressed both of you, I need your help._

As they get dressed Argonath explains.

ARGONATH.

 _I need you to get the Prof out of here, I found out his grandchildren are dead, they both died two days ago from the mutated flu virus. Plantagenet is going to execute the Prof once he has repaired the other nukes and you two are going to be ground up and fed to the livestock. I personally don't give a fuck what happens to you, but I owe the Professor more than I can ever repay for saving my sons lives and you two are the best shot to get him away._

MAX.

 _I'm going to need my vehicle, weapons and supplies._

THE PROFESSOR.

 _Your vehicle and belongings are intact, I told them there were more booby traps to be disabled before anyone could ransack it. There's nothing here for me now, I just want to see the sun again before I die._

ARGONATH.

 _I killed the guards outside, I can get you to the garage and open the blast door, I'm on duty in the garage you'll have to knock me out and it should look like you killed the guards and escaped on your own. Let's get moving._

They move through the concrete corridors quietly and quickly. They enter the garage complex and head for the bay where the Interceptor is parked, Aurora and The Professor get into the vehicle. Argonath shows Max the controls to open the heavy steel blast door. He goes back to the Interceptor

ARGONATH.

 _Once you open the blast door alarms will sound, so go hard once you're clear_. _Goodbye Professor, thank you for what you did for my children. OK scav do it._

He turns his back to Max who has retrieved his sawn off shotgun from the Interceptor. Max holds it by the barrel and brings it down hard on the back of Argonath's head. The soldier groans and stumbles but doesn't lose consciousness, Max hits him again hard and the man goes down. He pulls the lever and the heavy blast door begins to open and a piercing siren begins to sound. Max dives into the driver's seat, starts the engine and drives through the opening blast door.

EXT. NAROONGA GAP SETTLEMENT - DAWN.

The Interceptor roars through the settlement at high speed and down the dirt track leading to the fence. The Interceptor fishtails as Max takes a bend too fast but Max steers into the skid and regains control. He doesn't slow as they approach the gate and smashes through at high speed before the two sleepy gate guards have a chance to react.

EXT. SLAUGHTERHOUSE ROAD - THE DARKLANDS.

The escapees have been driving for a quarter of an hour when Max sees vehicles in pursuit reflected in his rear view mirror.

MAX.

 _We've got company, looks like he doesn't want to let you go without a fight. Let's see them keep up now._

Max engages the supercharger and the Interceptor accelerates rapidly away from the pursuing vehicles. A Nitrous injected wastelander vehicle has caught up with Interceptor and is following close behind. The passenger is taking shots at the Interceptor's rear tyres trying to shoot them out and stop the MFP vehicle, Max is swerving to avoid the rifle fire.

They are approaching the crumbling ruins of a town. Max is keeping one eye on the pursuing vehicle in his rear view mirror.

AURORA.

 _What the fuck is that? There's some kind of vehicle coming out of the ruins._

It is a tank. The turret is rotating to aim at the Interceptor, it fires at the same instant Max swerves the vehicle and the shell explodes close by. The tank fires another shell and again Max manages to avoid the explosion, the pursuing wastelander vehicle isn't so lucky, it is blown to pieces by the exploding shell. The tank is moving closer to the road, it's objective is to block the highway before the Interceptor reaches it's position. There is a mounted machine gun on the tank's turret and the gunner opens up on the approaching Interceptor

Max floors the accelerator, they pass the tanks position when it is only metres from the highway. The turret gunner rakes fire at the Interceptor as it passes, and the tank turns onto the highway in slow pursuit of the fast moving Interceptor. Max is checking the rear view mirror for pursuing vehicles when Aurora shouts loudly.

AURORA.

 _MAX, STOP._

Max's reactions are lightning fast, the Interceptor skids to a halt. The highway has been washed out, right in front of them there is a large chasm, 100 metres deep and 300 metres across. Max's vehicle is stopped right on the brink of the deep washout.

There is a crumbling sound beneath the front end of the Interceptor and it settles a few feet, as cracked asphalt, dirt and rocks fall into deep ravine. The asphalt beneath the stopped Interceptor cracks visibly, dirt and rocks trickle down, the edge is giving way slowly underneath the heavy vehicle.

MAX.

 _We're too heavy in the front end, get out slowly and stand well back._

Aurora gingerly opens the door and slowly and deliberately gets out of the car that is precariously perched on the edge of the deep chasm. Once she is out Max gently puts the car in reverse and guns the accelerator. The rear tyres squeal and smoke and slowly the vehicle backs up from the crumbling edge. Suddenly a large chunk of soil and rock breaks free and the Interceptor lurches forward. Max is sweating as he nurses the accelerator and clutch, the rear tyres are belching smoke as they spin on the asphalt, at last the rear tyres gain traction and the heavy vehicle reverses back from the edge of the abyss just as the edge where the Interceptor was overhanging crumbles away totally and tumbles to the floor of the chasm far below.

Aurora scans the highway behind them, Plantagenet's vehicles are coming over the horizon.

AURORA.

 _We've got company, they'll be here any minute._

Max takes the binoculars and scans the washed out chasm in both directions.

MAX.

 _There's our way across._

They get back in to the vehicle and Max drives a few hundred metres along the edge of the washout. The chasm has narrowed at this point it is only about 30 metres across, there is a steep rise at this point where a hill was washed away. Max gets out and peruses the narrow section. He gets back in and backs the Interceptor up a few hundred metres, he revs the engine.

AURORA.

 _Fuck, hold on Professor this lunatic's going to do it._

Max drops the clutch and accelerates hard, the Interceptor hits the steep rise and flies into the air above the deep chasm. They hit the other side with centimeters to spare, the edge crumbles into the chasm but they have made it. Max drives on, Aurora looks back and sees Plantagenet's vehicles stopped at the washed out chasm.

AURORA.

 _Yeah I'd like to see you try it ya bunch of pussies. We did it Max we're out of the Zone._

The dark cloud cover of the Zone is thinning and the sun can be seen. After half an hours driving they are back in the sun baked wasteland. Max stops the vehicle.

AURORA.

 _Look Professor the sun, feel that heat._

The Professor groans.

THE PROFESSOR.

 _I... ugh...am afraid ...my dear that it will be...th...the last thing I see, help...me..out._

The Professor was hit by one of the machine gun rounds.

AURORA.

 _Awww no, shit Max get the first aid kit quick._

MAX.

 _It wouldn't help, there's nothing we can do for him._

They gently pull the old man from the vehicle and lay him on the sand. Aurora takes off her leather jacket and covers the shivering man.

THE PROFESSOR.

 _My thanks... to both of you, I'm...happy to die in the...light of the sun, I'd quite...forgotten how beautiful it is._

He closes his eyes and breathes his last breath. There is a smile on his face.

Aurora is weeping softly.

EXT. WASTELAND - DAY.

The Interceptor drives off into the wasteland toward the Third City.

CLOSE UP ON:

A mound of wasteland sand. The Professor's final resting place.

FADE OUT.


	5. The Fate of Arkadia

EXT. WASTELAND - DAY.

On a high bluff overlooking the wasteland stands an old Koori warrior. His bushy white hair, beard and wrinkled, sagging flesh reveal his advanced years. A tough, formidable warrior to have survived into extreme old age. He stands on one leg, leaning against his long spear, the other leg is bent and his left foot rests upon the thigh of his supporting right leg.

He is watching the Interceptor far below, speeding across the desert wasteland, a large dust cloud trailing in the wake of the fast moving vehicle. He watches the vehicle disappear, he then turns his attention in the direction the Interceptor had arrived from. In the far off distance near the Dark Zone border an enormous dust cloud can be seen on the horizon.

INT. INTERCEPTOR.

Aurora is consulting Yakuza Jack's map. She points out a series of landmarks to Max.

AURORA..

 _That's it, you see those three mesas to the right? The route lies between the two larger ones. bear northeast for 100 kilometres and we're there._

Max guides the vehicle according to Aurora's directions. After an hours travel they see an ancient, rusting chainlink fence, sagging and collapsed in places, the enclosure it surrounds has long been covered with wasteland sand. One single structure can be discerned at the centre of the enclosure.

EXT. WASTELAND - THE THIRD CITY - DAY.

The Interceptor is parked next to a squat structure, the concrete blockhouse that houses the elevator shaft that is the only access to Arkadia the Third City.

INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT HOUSING STRUCTURE.

The large steel cage freight elevator that was used to transport supplies and people down to the City is rusty and flaking. It appears that it hasn't been used in years. Aurora finds the control panel for the elevator and it has been smashed, the elevator no longer functions.

AURORA.

 _This doesn't look good, but I know another way in._

She scouts around the building and finds the door to the room which houses the lift motors. Max inspects the motors, they are rusted and obviously no longer functional. At the back of the motor housing room there is a small door, locked with a heavy chain and padlock. Max cuts the padlock with the bolt cutters he is carrying and the chain falls to the floor. Aurora opens the small door and shines her torch down the long shaft that is revealed. There is a rusted steel ladder that disappears into the depths. At long intervals globes are set into the wall next to the ladder, they glow with a feeble red light.

AURORA.

 _There's still emergency lighting, the city must be running on minimal power. Oh well it's a long way down, you coming Max?_

She crawls through the small door on hands and knees.

INT. SECONDARY SHAFT - THE THIRD CITY.

Max and Aurora are climbing down the ladder, slowly descending to the underground City.

INT. THE THIRD CITY - PUBLIC GALLERIES.

The large open area public galleries contained establishments, parks etc. The cavernous space is nearly pitch black, the sparse emergency lighting is not sufficient to illuminate the vast enclosure. Max ignites a flare and a scene of devastation is revealed.

Corpses lie everywhere, the flesh long rotted away leaving only skeletons. Judging by the tattered clothing some appeared to be military personnel, whilst the majority were civilians. There is evidence of explosive damage, bullet holes pockmark the concrete walls and there is rubble strewn everywhere. There is extensive fire damage, empty shell casings litter the ground. Max and Aurora explore the devastated utopia, every room, corridor and establishment bears the marks of violence and destruction. There is nothing left to salvage, scavengers have picked the place clean of anything useful that survived the destruction.

AURORA.

 _Shit, this place was torn apart, I wonder what happened here?_

Just then a quiet sound interrupts the silent as a tomb underground city, a patter of dislodged dust.

MAX.

 _You hear that? I think there might be someone else down here._

Max stops still listening intently, but the sound is not repeated.

Aurora stands underneath one of the dim lights and consults her map.

AURORA.

 _The power plant and storage warehouses are two levels down from here. The Council Chambers are accessible through the Security Centre further down._

They descend two levels via a rusted steel stairwell. The massive warehouses that were once stocked with vast supplies of food, medicines, construction materials, vehicles, fuel and weaponry are now only empty caverns. Nothing remains.

AURORA.

 _Nothing, no salvage, it's all gone._

They continue on to the generator room, the massive industrial generators are all wrecked, debris is strewn everywhere. At the end of the generator room is a closed steel hatch, straining hard Max and Aurora open the rusted hatch. Massive banks of Acad storage batteries line every inch of the large chamber.

MAX.

 _Some of these batteries must still hold a charge, that's explains why the emergency lighting is still functioning._

AURORA.

 _Why didn't the scavs take the batteries?_

MAX.

 _They would've needed the emergency lighting to get everything out._

AURORA (discouraged).

 _Fucking great, all the shit we fought through to get here and all we've got are a few old batteries to show for it, no weapons, no army, no technology. It was all for nothing Max._

MAX.

 _Well last thing I suppose is to check the Council Chamber. Might be some clue as to what happened._

Aurora consults her map of the city and leads the way through a maze of concrete corridors and up stairwells dimly illuminated by the feeble emergency lighting.

At the end of a long corridor they enter a large chamber, on a raised platform at the end of the chamber, three headless skeletons dressed in the rotting remnants of expensive business suits, sit behind a large conference table. Three grinning skulls sit on the table before them. Behind the headless trio a word is scrawled in large letters in what might have been blood:

 **PLANTAGENET.**

Max and Aurora look at each other.

AURORA..

 _So that bastard has all the ordnance, vehicles and fuel he needs to carry out his invasion after all._

MAX.

 _This place has been dead for years. Being military, Plantagenet would have had access, looks like he brought his troops in, slaughtered everybody and looted the warehouses._

Max stops and listens. He gestures for Aurora to keep talking as he silently approaches the entrance to the chamber.

AURORA.

 _Uh...why do you think he murdered everybody?...You think he had uhh.. some sort of..._

She trails off as Max reaches his arm around the corner of the open doorway, he pulls it back in and in his grasp is a vicious, scratching, spitting, hissing animal. It is a feral child, a young girl about 10 years old. She is undernourished, very thin and filthy. Aurora offers her some Jerky, and the struggling girl ceases her wild struggles, her nostrils twitch as she smells the food, Max lets her go and she snatches the proffered food and tears into it ravenously. Aurora gives her water from her canteen and the feral girl gulps down the water thirstily, she utters a huge burp and smiles.

AURORA.

 _You were hungry weren't you sweetheart._

Aurora brushes the child's tangled, matted hair from her dirt and grime covered face.

AURORA.

 _Where did you come from I wonder._

The small girl points to herself and begins to mouth sounds. She can only communicate in grunts and monosyllables, but she still remembers and struggles to pronounce the long unused word.

FERAL GIRL.

 _Uhh...K...kkk...eee.. ohh...kk...uh. Kk...ee...uhh...Kee...uhh..oko...Kee..oko._

AURORA.

 _Kiyoko, your name is Kiyoko._

The feral child nods, smiling, pleased with herself.

AURORA.

 _Where did she come from? how has she survived on her own down here?_

MAX.

 _Maybe she got left behind by a scav gang. God knows how long she's been here but it must have been years for her to regress to such a feral state, probably ate rats, cockroaches, drank from stagnant pools of water._

Aurora shudders involuntarily.

AURORA.

 _She's a tough little thing but if we hadn't found her she would have died down here in the dark when the batteries finally ran out of juice._

MAX.

 _Let's get back to the surface, we aren't going to find anything here but the dead._

As they head for the council chamber entrance a low, menacing, growl breaks the silence. In front of them is a scrawny, yellow dingo. It's hackles are raised and it bares it's sharp canine teeth as it continues to growl threateningly. Max reaches to unholster his shotgun, but Kiyoko steps in front of him.

KIYOKO.

 _Uhh Kai Ni._

The dingo drops to it's haunches and it's tail is now wagging. Kiyoko extends her hand and the vicious canine licks the child's hand lovingly. She pats the dingo affectionately.

KIYOKO.

 _Kai_.

AURORA.

 _I guess his name is Kai._

Kiyoko is tugging at Aurora's jacket and pointing down the corridor.

AURORA.

 _I think she wants to show us something._

They follow Kiyoko and her canine companion through the labyrinthine corridors until they come to a small room. The smell in the room is overpowering, many skeletons are piled up: rats, crows, possums. There are piles of filthy rags. Water drips slowly from the ceiling and collects in a number of rusted tin cans.

MAX.

 _It looks like this is where they live._

Aurora kneels down and points back in the direction they had come.

AURORA..

 _We have to go now sweetheart. Outside._

Kiyoko shakes her head insistently and points in the other direction.

KIYOKO.

 _Aaahht...Side. Aaahtside._

MAX.

 _I think she knows another way out._

Kiyoko nods vigorously. Max and Aurora follow the child and her dingo companion through the corridors and up stairwells. They at last reach a dead end, there is a partly open hatch in the ceiling. Sand has drifted through the opening over the years and the top of the sandpile is only a few feet from the hatch. They see the steel hatch has been propped open with a human skull and piles of bones. They all crawl through the small opening and emerge into the harsh daylight of the wasteland. They are at the rear of the elevator housing structure.

EXT. WASTELAND - ARKADIA ELEVATOR HOUSING - DAY.

The harsh sunlight is blinding after the hours they have spent in the dim light of the underground city. Max and Aurora sit down against the concrete, shielding their eyes as they wait for their vision to acclimatise to the harsh glare of daylight. Once they are able to see again they stand up and walk around the concrete blockhouse to the front where the Interceptor is parked.

As they round the corner an awe inspiring sight is revealed. Hundreds of vehicles are parked in the wasteland. Thousands of the fierce mutant warriors await, men and women, all are bald and heavily tattooed in the tribal style, the tattoos on some of the warrior's faces give them a fiercesome appearance. They are dressed in threadbare, patched camouflage trousers and leggings, some wear sleeveless leather vests yet most are bare chested, the intricate tattoos surround the tribal skull brand on each warrior's torso. Officers and warriors stand by their vehicles, some sit on the hoods of their cars, others squat in the sand, whilst some wait inside their machines.

The warriors are armed with an assortment of weapons ranging from crossbows and long bows, spears, naginatas and tribal weapons, some are armed with rifles and modified automatic weapons. They make no sound and there is no movement. There is an eerie quiet stillness to the scene, broken only by the cawing of a crow high above.

The silence is broken as Aurora approaches a vehicle, the War Chariot of the Kroatoan War Chief T'kai. An imposing man, he jumps from his vehicle and stops in front of the pilot. They both grasp the back of each others heads with their right hand and touch foreheads and noses together briefly. They release the grip and Aurora speaks to the warrior in a strange dialect. Three more warriors join them.

AURORA.

 _Kaisatu kantaku Oria -Tai T'kai, Papei._

T'KAI.

 _Kaisatu Hermana Katasan Karewa, Doitein Mokuro. Teo no makore misein Arkadia agtheire. Ka sei Roduko Oria Wa teo kitai, no Mokuro Breith Eihran._ (He calls out to Max in English) _Greetings Road Warrior, my white brother._

Max is unsure what to make of this.

AURORA.

 _Useki Papei wasan noku. Arkadia muertei, dystras ruin. Makei technologei eisen weapons, salvaje Oria Wa Empei Plantagenet. Meid nuclear sperakai._

GENERAL M'KOI.

 _Aigth Oria Wa taitui? Makei kaisen salvaje?_

AURORA.

 _Eisen. Spiritei teo muertei heith Arkadia._

COLONEL MAKOATIA.

 _Askein teo Makatai Otoan krahei muertein Oria Wa Empei Plantagenet?_

CAPTAIN MIRIGUNJI.

 _Teo Makatai Otoan kein eisen weil Oria Wa tai._

The warriors have a lengthy conversation. Max is confused.

The Chief turns to his army and shouts a loud command. The tribesmen return to their vehicles. There is a loud cacophony as hundreds of engines turn over and start revving, slowly the mighty army drives off into the wasteland.

AURORA.

 _Teo akosei Roduko Oria Wa Papei._

The Chief embraces Aurora, he nods at Max and returns to his vehicle to await his adopted daughter.

MAX.

 _You going to tell me what the hell that was all about?_

AURORA.

 _I'm truly sorry Max. Most of what I told you was the truth._

MAX.

 _You weren't seeking Arkadia to warn them, you were leading the invasion force here._

AURORA.

 _Yes, they were waiting for us in the wasteland near the Zone border. They left Newhaven four weeks ago to travel around the Dark Zone._

KIYOKO.

 _Dd...ahhhkk...Zzz...uhhhn._

AURORA..

 _Let me explain Max, my family was from Newhaven, that wasn't a lie. We lived there until I was fourteen, when my family was banished from the city as dissenters. My father objected to the sealing off of the lower levels, he believed we should help those less fortunate not condemn them to a slow death. We left in the biplane but were forced down in the wasteland when the fuel ran out, my parents died when our small supply of food and water was gone. I would have died too, but a scouting party of Kroatoan warriors found me, they took me back to the tribe and I was adopted by the chief, T'kai. We retrieved the plane and buried my parents, I swore on their graves that I would have my revenge. I led the Kroatoan army to Newhaven and got them past the defences, the City Elders paid in blood for what they did to my parents._

MAX.

 _I suppose your warning to Furiosa was bullshit too._

AURORA.

 _Yes, but don't worry, your friends in the Citadel and Gastown are safe. Max you defeated a Kroatoan warrior in a ritual fight to the death, you are now an honorary warrior of The Tribe. The brand you wear is a mark of great honour, all Kroatoan warriors wear the brand, men and women._

Aurora grasps her woolen shirt at the neck and pulls it down to reveal the tribal skull logo, outlined in raised scar tissue on her chest.

AURORA.

 _Your allies became allies of the tribe automatically, Furiosa is an honorable and benevolent leader, something that is much admired by the tribe. Whilst my mission was a failure, you succeeded in saving your friends._

MAX.

 _That's something I suppose, but there will be other settlements burned and pillaged by these warriors._

AURORA.

 _They are a proud and noble people, they aren't ignorant savages. They have a strict warrior's code of honour, they don't kill women and children, they don't enslave the defeated. They are far more civilised than most of the human trash in the wasteland._

MAX.

 _Yeah, that I can believe._

AURORA.

 _I didn't enjoy having to deceive you, I hope you understand why I had to. I like you Max you're a good man, come with us. There is a place for you with The Tribe._

MAX.

 _It's not the first time I've been used. No I still have a long road to travel, I don't know what it is i'm looking for but i'll know it when I find it._

Aurora steps forward and hugs the surprised Road Warrior. She takes his face in her hands and kisses Max, a brief, passionate kiss. She leans in and whispers in his ear.

AURORA (softly).

 _Are you sure you haven't found it? I hope I see you again Max._

She looks at Kiyoko and extends her hand

AURORA.

 _Come on Kiyoko we're going home._

KIYOKO.

 _Uhh..hho..uhh...mm?_

Kiyoko looks at Max then at Aurora then back at Max.

MAX.

 _Go on kid get out of here, go._

Max waves his hand at her in a shooing motion. Kiyoko looks at Max, grunts at him and takes Aurora's hand, gripping tightly.

AURORA..

 _If you change your mind our settlement is twenty days travel southeast._

With that she turns and walks hand in hand with Kiyoko back to T'kai's war chariot, Kai the dingo following. Without looking back Aurora, Kiyoko and Kai get into the vehicle which drives off into the wasteland.

CLOSE UP ON:

Max's face. He stares after the departed vehicle for a long time.

Max returns to the Interceptor. He gets in and starts the vehicle, after a long pause the Interceptor drives off into the wasteland in the opposite direction.

FADE TO BLACK.

THE END.

 **Aurora and the Makatai Otoan will return in Mad Max: Doomsday.**

 **War comes to the Wasteland. The Makatai Otoan face off with the insane Emperor Plantagenet's Army of The Righteous. Although The Tribe outnumber Plantagenet's forces, they are outgunned as Plantagenet's army possess the weapons and vehicles plundered from Arkadia. As well as the Nuclear missile, "The Iron Fist of God".**


End file.
